The Floating World culture developed in Yoshiwara, the licensed red-light district of Edo (modern Tokyo),.
During Japan’s Edo period (1615–1868) the phrase "the floating world" (ukiyo) evoked and stood for urban lifestyle, especially the pleasure-seeking aspects.
Beautiful women, both courtesans and geisha; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; history and legend; travel scenes and landscapes; flora and fauna were common elements in the art of this period.