Following its establishment as the site of the Tokugawa shoguns' administrative government in the early 17th century, Edo developed a cultural and artistic identity distinct from that of Kyoto, where the emperor and nobles continued to reside. Edo artists of the Kano and Sumiyoshi schools worked on commission for the shoguns and high-ranking patrons of the warrior and aristocratic class, while artists belonging to other schools such as the Rimpa school, which began in Kyoto in the early 17th century, perfected simplified compositions and distinctive techniques.

Among the works on view are paintings by artists such as Tani Buncho, who studied a variety of Chinese painting styles and incorporated them into their art. Hokusai (1760–1849), the most famous Japanese painter internationally, was a native of Edo whose original style in both paintings and prints was emulated by his many talented students. The exhibition includes the work of several of Hokusai's followers.