Ukiyo-e pictures of birds, flowers, and other natural subjects are called kachō-e.
Kachō-e literally means “bird-and-flower pictures,” a phrase rooted in East Asian painting traditions. In ukiyo-e, the category commonly includes birds, flowers, insects, plants, and sometimes fish or other animals presented as carefully observed subjects.
The format was especially well suited to single-sheet prints and privately commissioned surimono. Artists could emphasize seasonal symbolism, poetic associations, and delicate details rather than crowded narrative scenes. Utagawa Hiroshige and Katsushika Hokusai both created notable works involving birds and flowers.
Kachō-e is distinct from bijin-ga, pictures of beautiful women, musha-e, warrior imagery, and yakusha-e, actor portraits. The categories describe subject matter, although one print can include more than one visual tradition.