He is widely recognised as the last great master of Ukiyo-e, a type of Japanese woodblock printing. He is additionally regarded as one of the form's greatest innovators. His career spanned two eras – the last years of feudal Japan, and the first years of modern Japan following the Meiji Restoration. His reputation has only continued to grow, both in the West, and among younger Japanese, and he is now almost universally recognised as the greatest Japanese artist of his era.