100 Views of Tokyo Now Available as a Book

Three years ago the illustrator Shinji Tsuchimochi embarked on an ambitious project. Following in the footsteps of ukiyo-e artist Hiroshige who, 160 years ago, created One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, Tsuchimochi began illustrating 100 views of Tokyo. This summer he finished his project and the entire body of work (plus a few extras) are being turned into a book.

100 Views of Tokyo is a full-color, 132 page book that not only includes the original Tokyo illustrations but also 5 views of Osaka. And to top it off, the author has also created 3 original guides that are perfect for exploring the Tokyo neighborhoods of Yanesen, Kanda and Asakusa.

The bilingual book is in English and Japanese, allowing more people to discover all of Tsuchimochi’s views of Tokyo.

1 of 3 original maps included in the book

Looking back on the project, each view is a unique work of art, inspired by ukiyo-e but produced with a modern sense of whimsy and, sometimes, surrealism. Anyone who has ever visited Tokyo will undoubtedly find the illustrations equally nostalgic and mesmerizing.

It’s a Tokyo that the edo painters never knew, but one that, for all its pros and cons, is worth commemorating and serializing.