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Omocha-e (Japanese: 玩具絵, "toy prints") is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints ukiyo-e created as picture books and toys for children.[1] The genre was considered inferior to prints of kabuki actors (yakusha-e) or prints with beautiful women (bijin-ga).[2]
There were many types of Omocha-e, including paper dolls to be dressed (kisekae-e), matching-picture games (e-awase), board games (such as sugoroku), dioramas to be cut out and assembled (tatebanko or kumitate-e), and encyclopedic compilations (monozukushi).[3]
Woodblock printing became widespread during the Edo Period.[3] Print shops housed the equivalent of tabloids (ukiyo-e), landscape prints that featured tourist sites, and omocha-e.[3] Such prints often functioned as easily transportable gifts that relayed the latest trends. Moreover, much like Western toys, omocha-e was heavily impacted by trends, resulting in several containing the phrase shipan, "latest edition", at the top of each print.[3] The popularity of such toys found a resurgence during Japan's industrialization and subsequent international conflicts during the early 20th century with adults rather than children. This new audience was arguably an extension of Japan's efforts to create a sense of nationalism within its people by utilizing nostalgia.[3] However, the modern and more vernacular omocha (Japan's equivalent of "toy") inspired by the new industrial Japan quickly took its place.[4]Omocha, though similar to omocha-e, represents an umbrella term for toys ranging from children's playthings to religious votives and is not limited to woodblock prints.[4]
Media related to Omocha-e at Wikimedia Commons