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How did Hokusai and Hiroshige make ukiyo-e a distinctive Japanese art form?

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The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai shows a towering blue wave threatening boats, with Mount Fuji visible in the background. — Japanese art *The Breaking Wave off Kanagawa*, woodblock colour print by Hokusai, from the series *Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji*, 1826–33.

Hokusai and Hiroshige were instrumental in transforming ukiyo-e from a genre dominated by depictions of urban pleasure quarters and kabuki actors into a distinctive art form centered on the landscape print.123

Hokusai acted as the innovator of the pure landscape print. By breaking with the traditional atelier system, he experimented with new subjects and styles, culminating in his masterpiece, the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. His work was characterized by a grand scale and a relentless pursuit of the "true quality" of his subjects, ranging from nature to historical scenes.123

Hiroshige followed Hokusai, bringing a more intimate and poetic sensibility to the genre. His Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō captured the essence of travel and Japanese vistas. Hiroshige was particularly skilled at reducing scenes to simple, highly decorative elements and evoking atmosphere through depictions of rain, snow, and mist. Together, they utilized landscape prints to offer viewers imaginative journeys, effectively bypassing the restrictive travel codes of the era.13