Picture of German shepherd Ukiyo-e

Origin Story

The scene depicted in ukiyo-e is that of a standing German Shepherd, gazing proudly at the horizon. He wore a red cape and a black hat, which made him look like a fairy tale hero. His coat was silky and shiny, as if it had been buffed by the wind.


This German Shepherd belonged to a man named Toshusai, who lived on a small farm on the edge of the Japanese mountains. Toshusai adored his dog more than anything and took great care of him. Every day, Toshusai took his dog for a walk so that he could enjoy nature and breathe the pure mountain air. This habit gave Toshusai a lot of satisfaction because he saw his dog happy and cheerful every time they went for a walk together.


One day, while they were walking on the steep paths of the Japanese mountains, Toshusai noticed that the German Shepherd seemed to stare intently at something in front of them. Intrigued by this unusual behavior, he approached the dog to see what captured his attention so much: it was a magnificent view of the landscapes of Japan from the mountain ridge! The setting sun illuminated the landscape with its soft orange light as white clouds moved slowly across the clear blue sky. The sparkling scene gave Toshusai an indescribable feeling: he was so filled with admiration for the beauty of this magical moment that he immediately decided to immortalize the moment with an ukiyo-e representing his faithful canine friend admiring the splendor Japanese landscapes!