Aizuri-e is the Japanese term for ukiyo-e prints made predominantly in blue.
The word combines ai, referring to indigo or blue dye, with -zuri-e, meaning a printed picture. Aizuri-e prints often use several tones of blue rather than a broad palette of colors. Some examples are nearly monochromatic, while others combine blue with limited black, gray, or pale colors.
The style became especially prominent in the nineteenth century after Prussian blue reached Japan through trade. This imported pigment was more durable and more vivid than many earlier blues, making it attractive to publishers and artists. Hokusai and Hiroshige both used blue extensively in landscapes.
Aizuri-e is not the same as nishiki-e, the general term for full-color polychrome prints. Benizuri-e refers to early prints using red and usually green, while urushi-e describes prints enhanced with glossy black ink or lacquer-like effects. These terms identify production and color characteristics, not a single artist or subject.