Final answer:
Woodblock printing in Japan, particularly the ukiyo-e genre, developed to meet the increasing consumer demand for images in the 17th century. The technique originated in China during the Tang Dynasty and became a critical part of mass-producing affordable images in Japan.
Step-by-step explanation:
The development of woodblock printing in Japan was prompted by the need to meet the high demand for imagery in the form of the ukiyo-e, or “floating world,” prints. These prints became hugely popular in the 19th century, with their beginnings in the seventeenth century as an affordable way to reproduce multiple editions of images to satisfy the desires of the masses.
Ukiyo-e was a collaborative process involving artists, publishers, block carvers, and printers. This system allowed for intricate and dynamic woodblock prints, such as those by Katsushika Hokusai, which demonstrated sophisticated techniques including linear perspective inspired by Western styles of image-making.