Using a technique called printmaking, Japanese artists could reproduce their artworks many times. This process made art more affordable. From the 17th to the 19th centuries, as Japan’s government limited the country’s contact with the world, woodblock printmaking thrived, and the arts flourished in Japanese cities. In the 19th century, artists including Utagawa Kunisada and Katsushika Hokusai created woodblock prints known as ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world.” Since Japan’s artists weren’t exposed to art from other cultures, they developed unique styles. Many Japanese prints feature distinct shapes, flattened space, and flat color.