Pretty sure this was made by John Resig, the creator of jQuery.
I used to be friends with him back in the day and he described wanting to do something like this. He was/is a passionate dude.
jeresig•Feb 22, 2026
Thank you for sharing my site! I built this a number of years ago as I was starting to learn about Japanese prints. I wanted a single place where I could find them across all of the various museums and universities that hold them. I use computer vision analysis to cluster prints together (using TinEye). A bunch more technical details from the last time this was posted: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18344979
I’m working on a new site now that’s focused on prints that are for sale from dealers and auctions. Much more technically complex as it needs to be continuously updated. Hope to have a public beta soon!
masswerk•Feb 22, 2026
Thank you for your work, it's an invaluable resource!
iddan•Feb 22, 2026
That is so cool!!! Thank you for putting in the effort
chickensong•Feb 22, 2026
Thank you for creating such a wonderful site! Woodblock printing is one of my favorite art forms.
My grandparents visited Japan long ago and gifted me two wooden boxes, one with this print on the lid: https://ukiyo-e.org/image/aic/99027_512658 and the other with https://ukiyo-e.org/image/honolulu/8277. They're secret boxes with no hinges or hardware, but if you press on certain locations in the correct order, sections will slide and the lid unlocks and can be opened.
Is there a way to stay informed of when your new print site launches?
Wow 2 ukiyo-e threads in 24 hours. This is really cool.
I posted that there was a museum in kurashiki in the other thread but neglected to post a link. For anyone interested here it is https://ukiyo-e-kurashiki.jp/?lang=en
dang•Feb 22, 2026
I was going to ask what the other thread was but you made it easy!
(Reposts are fine after a year or so; links to past threads are just to satisfy extra-curious readers)
andeee23•Feb 22, 2026
kawase hasui is hands down the best to ever do it
he does trees and foliage in s very special way
keiferski•Feb 22, 2026
Agreed, he is my favorite as well. There is something so cinematic about every one of his images.
chickensong•Feb 22, 2026
No argument there.
For fans of California and the Bay Area, Tom Killion is a local hero as well.
gyomu•Feb 22, 2026
Check out Chiura Obata. His Yosemite prints are stunning.
kehvyn•Feb 22, 2026
A fellow Shin Hanga-era fan! There are dozens of us!
Hasui is excellent, but Shiro Kasamatsu is my undisputed favorite. Something about the way he does buildings, and the dramatic colors, is exactly aimed at me.
Duanemclemore•Feb 22, 2026
Bookmarked for constant reference.
As a designer, Japanese printmaking is a constant source of inspiration, and the effort that went into putting this together is pretty astounding. Thank you to the author for the hard work, and to the OP for surfacing it!
miduil•Feb 22, 2026
Wow, that's wonderful. There is a store that sells original Woodblock prints in Vienna, close to the Opera. Every time I'm passing by I take a few moments to look and reflect on those prints, it's great recognizing some on this website now.
kehvyn•Feb 22, 2026
I know exactly which store you're talking about, and I couldn't resist going in the one time I was in Vienna. It's a great store.
I took a class at his workshop in Tokyo and highly recommend the experience. So much thought and detail goes into preparing the wood blocks and even into "just" printing them.
thrownaway561•Feb 22, 2026
For those that don't know, this site was made by John Resig, yes, the same dude that invented jQuery.
Fricken•Feb 22, 2026
The experience of trying to use that website was garage, what a shitty way to present art.
11 Comments
Surprisingly [0]:
> Ukiyo-e.org was created by John Resig ...
[0] https://ukiyo-e.org/about
I used to be friends with him back in the day and he described wanting to do something like this. He was/is a passionate dude.
I’m working on a new site now that’s focused on prints that are for sale from dealers and auctions. Much more technically complex as it needs to be continuously updated. Hope to have a public beta soon!
My grandparents visited Japan long ago and gifted me two wooden boxes, one with this print on the lid: https://ukiyo-e.org/image/aic/99027_512658 and the other with https://ukiyo-e.org/image/honolulu/8277. They're secret boxes with no hinges or hardware, but if you press on certain locations in the correct order, sections will slide and the lid unlocks and can be opened.
Is there a way to stay informed of when your new print site launches?
I posted that there was a museum in kurashiki in the other thread but neglected to post a link. For anyone interested here it is https://ukiyo-e-kurashiki.jp/?lang=en
The Rediscovery of 103 Hokusai Lost Sketches (2021) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47030387 - Feb 2026 (8 comments)
Japanese Woodblock Print Search - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18344979 - Oct 2018 (29 comments)
(Reposts are fine after a year or so; links to past threads are just to satisfy extra-curious readers)
he does trees and foliage in s very special way
For fans of California and the Bay Area, Tom Killion is a local hero as well.
Hasui is excellent, but Shiro Kasamatsu is my undisputed favorite. Something about the way he does buildings, and the dramatic colors, is exactly aimed at me.