With the advent of ukiyo-e woodblock prints, art became accessible to Japan’s burgeoning merchant classes. Though a uniquely Japanese art form, the prints reveal interests in celebrity, fashion, entertainment, and travel that have a universal human appeal, regardless of time or place.

Dreams and Diversions celebrates Japanese woodblock prints with a collection of ten original essays by an international team of scholars. They draw attention to the unique and longstanding relationship between the port city of San Diego, its collectors, and the nation of Japan. The essays not only advance the field of art history with new research and discussions of rare prints but also tell engaging stories for all readers interested in Japanese art and culture from the 17th to the early 20th centuries.

The contributors to Dreams and Diversions include Michael S. Inoue, Hiroko Johnson, Andreas Marks, Junichi Okubo, and Sonya Rhie Quintanilla.