Ukiyo-e prints featuring erotic scenes and themes are known in Japanese as shunga.
Shunga developed within Japan’s broader ukiyo-e tradition and was produced in books, albums, and individual sheets. The imagery could include lovers, courtesans, married couples, mythical figures, and humorous scenes. Although often explicit, shunga also carried literary, comic, and social elements.
Many leading ukiyo-e artists produced shunga, sometimes under alternate names or without prominently identifying themselves. Katsushika Hokusai’s celebrated Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife is one famous example, though its subject and title are often discussed separately from the general category.
Shunga should not be confused with bijin-ga, pictures of beautiful women, or musha-e, warrior prints. Those categories may overlap in artistic style, but shunga is defined by erotic content.