Hiroshige: Visions of Japan

June 04, 2010 - January 17, 2011

Drawn from the Norton Simon Museum's extensive Japanese woodblock-print collection, Hiroshige: Visions of Japanfeatures approximately 175 prints by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), one of the most celebrated and prolific artists of his time.

Hiroshige was born Andō Tokutarō in Edo (now known as Tokyo) in 1797. Around 1810, he was accepted as a student by Utagawa Toyohiro, a master artist of the Utagawa school of designers, print-makers and painters. Under Toyohiro's tutelage, the young artist honed his skills in the genre of ukiyo-e, or "pictures of the floating world." The school's successful apprentices formally adopted Utagawa as their surname and received new given names; by 1813 Andō Tokutarō had officially become Utagawa Hiroshige.

http://www.nortonsimon.org/hiroshige-visions-of-japan

http://www.nortonsimon.org/

California Scenic Drives and Day Trips

Here is a collection of interesting road trips...

more info

California hostels offer budget-luxury accommodations

With 30 bucks and an open mind, you can stay in some prime spots in California — on the Pacific Beach boardwalk in San Diego, for example, or a block from Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica or overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco or across from Union Square.

And "budget luxury" is what they get. Domestic hostels range from sleek, modern 200-bed high rises in city centers to quaint 25-person beach cottages, and many are safe, clean places to stay. Most have 24/7 front-desk reception and security, and provide lockers to store belongings. Rates change according to season, number of beds in a room and location, but expect to pay $25 to $35 for a dorm bed in the summer, and $70 to $100 for a private room.

Today, hostellers contribute $1.4 billion to tourist revenues worldwide, and though the words "hostel" and "youth" are often paired, hostelling is by no means young-person exclusive. As the struggling economy has widened the range of those seeking budget accommodations, hostellers note a corresponding increase in the age of patrons.

read article