The Hilbert Museum in Orange, California, is currently presenting an exhibit of Mie Gallery’s Japanese woodblock prints featuring the theme "Famous Restaurants in Edo," running from June 14, 2025, through February 15, 2026. The exhibition showcases 23 prints  captures the vibrant restaurant culture of 19th-century Tokyo.

California and Japanese Art Connections

The Hilbert Museum, the only museum in the world focusing on California artists, houses 26 galleries rotating through over 5,000 pieces of art. The inclusion of Japanese art reflects significant California-Japan connections: California has the largest Japanese American population in the United States, maintains 100 Japanese sister cities (more than any other state), and shares approximately the same land mass and GDP of 4 trillion dollars with Japan. Universities, museums, and industries in both regions partner extensively.

Art as Advertising in Edo

In the bustling heart of 19th-century Edo (modern-day Tokyo), restaurants functioned as stages for fashion, fame, and the theater of daily life. Many of the era's most famous woodblock print artists were commissioned to illustrate popular restaurants, creating works that served the dual purpose of art and advertising. We selected 23 restaurant related prints by five amazing artists; Kunichika, Yoshitoshi, Hiroshige, Kunisada, and Kuniyoshi.

Restaurants recognized the marketing power of colorful woodblock prints and sought to elevate their image through scenes capturing their atmosphere and the well-known kabuki actors, courtesans, and entertainers who frequented their establishments.

Famous Restaurants of the Eastern Capital

This collaborative series, published in 1852, features two of the most famous woodblock print artists: Kunisada and Hiroshige. Kunisada designed the bold kabuki actor images in the foreground, such as actor Nakamura Utaemon IV as the military leader Taira Kiyomori.

Hiroshige designed the smaller inset landscapes in the background showing the restaurants, in this case, Hirasei Restaurant. The emphasis clearly falls on the actor, though Hiroshige's landscapes provide context for the restaurant setting.

Above is another print from the series that features actor Bandō Mitsugorō III as Kitsune Tadanobu, a shape-changing fox-spirit character. In the background, Hiroshige provides two circular images: one of the exterior of Hashiwaya Restaurant and one of a nearby scenic view.

36 Famous Tokyo Restaurants Series

This 1870 series by artist Toyohara Kunichika pairs famous geisha with famous restaurants. The restaurant appears even less prominently in this series, often reduced to subtle hints such as the inset image of the lantern representing the Restaurant.

The beautiful Geisha Kotori holding an umbrella occupies the majority of the print. The background splits diagonally, with a sumi-e (ink) monochromatic style painting for the bottom half and a bold red "asa-no-ha" or hemp leaf pattern in the top diagonal. The detail in her layered kimono demonstrates exceptional craftsmanship.

Above is the most popular print from this series depicting the Kawanaga Restaurant with Geisha 'Some' of Yanagibashi holding a Japanese bobtail cat. You can see 27 of the 36 prints on the mie gallery website.

36 Modern Restaurants Series

This 1878 series, also by Kunichika, depicts popular beauties enjoying the scenery and ambiance of contemporary restaurants. The series focused on applying Western perspective to detailed interior and exterior views.

The print of Shimayaso Restaurant captures a relatable scene: a couple hurrying to make their reservation while the hostess welcomes them.

Below is another unusual print showing a couple hurrying to a restaurant in a rickshaw. The foot of the rickshaw driver appears on the left side, and through the bridge, the Kashiwaya restaurant is visible on the riverbank.

The series contains numerous images of beautiful restaurant exteriors; the print below depicts women watching fireflies at Hira-Sei Restaurant in Fukagawa.

A winter scene shows women on the balcony of Baisa Restaurant at Kubomachi.

This print below features the popular Western-style restaurant in Ueno Park called Seiyōken.

Another shows a couple walking through the snow to the restaurant Yaomatsu in the background.

Here is a photo of the actual restaurant back in the 1870’s.

A particularly engaging print depicts two women leaving the Uoju Restaurant after a meal, with one woman lounging in apparent food-induced contentment while the other picks her teeth. These realistic depictions provide insight into restaurant culture in Edo 150 years ago.

Additional Notable Works

The exhibit concludes with a selection of prints by other artists.This composition by Utagawa Kuniyoshi comes from his 1852 series "Thirty-Six Fashionable Restaurants in Edo."

The print above shows Kabuki actor Onoe Kikugoro III as the legendary sword-master Kasahara Bokuden outside a Nihonbashi restaurant in the snow.

A winter scene by Hiroshige titled "Back Gate of Kame-ido Shrine, and Tamaya Restaurant" comes from his 1840 "Famous Restaurants in Edo" series.

The exhibition concludes with an amusing and relatable print by Yoshitoshi from his 1878 series "A Collection of Desires." The print depicts a woman sitting at a restaurant looking at the menu, with the title "I want someone to decide for me."

Visiting the Exhibition

The exhibition at the Hilbert Museum offers a rare opportunity to explore how master artists blended storytelling, beauty, and history into works that remain relatable today. These prints illuminate the intersection of dining, fashion, kabuki, and entertainment in 19th-century Tokyo, revealing both the artistic sophistication and commercial savvy of Edo-period culture. The museum offers free admission and is located in Orange, California, near Los Angeles.