Picture of Frog Ukiyo-e

Origin Story

Once upon a time there was a small village on the edge of a lake. In this village lived a frog named Kuniyoshi. He loved exploring the lake and its surroundings, discovering its mysteries and hidden secrets.


One day, while exploring the shore, he noticed something very interesting: a picture of a frog painted on a piece of driftwood. Intrigued by this painting, Kuniyoshi jumped into the water to examine it better and realized that this image was made with great care and precision. The frog looked suspiciously like himself!


Kuniyoshi swam to shore and found a man who introduced himself as the painter of the painting: A great ukiyo-e master named Utagawa Kuniyoshi. He explained to Kuniyoshi that this painting was made to capture the beauty of aquatic animals, including frogs. The painter asked Kuniyoshi if he could pose for his next painting to capture her unique beauty. Of course, Kuniyoshi happily accepted!


The next morning, after spending the night at the painter's house, Kuniyoshi was asked to take his place on a white sheet where he would remain still while the master worked around him to create his ukiyo-e masterpiece: A Magnificent canvas depicting a vibrantly colored frog that captured all the grace and magic of the lake where it lived! This piece is now known as Utagawa Kuniyoshi's "Frog" and is considered a Japanese classic among lovers of traditional Japanese art.