Shunga, Ukiyo-E & Japanese Erotica

578 images, 50 galleries

Shunga, which means "picture of spring", has its origins in China in the 14th Century, but developed and reached its apogee, in Edo (modern-day Tokyo) in early 17th Century Japan. In almost all shunga the characters are clothed. This is partly because nudity was not considered inherently erotic in Japan, but it also helped the reader identify the characters - courtesans, samurai, geisha and foreigners. The first thing most people notice in Shunga and Ukiyo-E images are the unfeasibly large genitals - my favourite explanation for this is that that's how big we feel when aroused...