The Röhsska Museum's collection of Japanese woodcuts amounts to approximately 380 woodcuts that have been acquired by the museum through gifts and purchases from the 1920s onwards. The collection contains images by artists such as Toyokuni, Kunisada, Utamaro, Hiroshige, Hokusai and others, and spans a period from the 1680s to the end of the 19th century. In addition to their artistic value, the woodblock prints provide a cultural and historical insight into Japanese society during the more than 250-year period of Japanese history known as the Edo period. The collection reflects the development of the art of woodblock printing from black and white prints to multi-colored images printed with many woodblocks. A prerequisite for the high quality of the images was great craftsmanship, the unique Japanese paper, dyes and printing techniques. All this contributed to the fascination with the art form. Japanese woodblock prints have had a major impact on the development of arts and crafts in the West, inspiring designers and craftsmen since the mid-19th century when interest in Japanese design spread to the West. By publishing a book, richly illustrated with images, the museum wishes to provide an introduction to the art of woodblock prints and a deeper insight into the museum's collection of Japanese woodblock prints for a broad public.