1615年大將軍德川家康 (Tokugawa Ieyasu 1543-1646) 終結政局紛亂之戰國時代，統一全國，建立德川幕府，開始政局穩定之江戶 (Edo)時代。首都江戶 (今東京 )，在都市人口大量移入與便利水路運輸系統等實質條件所帶來充沛人力資源及豐富物資帶動下，經濟大幅成展。江戶社會安定，庶民生活優渥無虞，在原以武士精英文化為主流思想都市生活中，融入庶民大眾通俗文化元素，發展出具多元經濟、社會、及文化特徵之都市生活新型態。十七世紀末，江戶商菱川師宣 (Hishikawa Moronobu 1618-1694)出版浮世繪畫冊，以圖像畫作詳實記載此江戶多元都市生活訊息，並迅速傳遞流通坊間。本研究透過浮世繪圖像之印證，探討融入庶民大眾通俗文化元素後江戶都市生活，在其所具備高人口密度、水道運輸、及防災都市等特質基礎上，所發展出都市多元經濟型態、多元社會生活、及多元文化表徵等實質生活型態之意涵。
By concluding the political turmoil of War Period and achieving the unification of the country, Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1646) established the Tokugawa administration and commenced ultimately the political-secured Edo Era in 1615. The economics of the capital city Edo (now known as Tokyo), by taking advantage of huge amount of immigration and convenient water transportation system which had resulted the abundant supplies of the human and material resource, has boomed since then. Being founded on the stability and prosperity of society, the original elite-oriented Edo people life, by including the element of popular culture, has evolved into new lifestyle with its pluralistic economic, social, and cultural significance. At the end of the 17th century, the Edo merchant Hishikawa Moronobu (1618-1694) had published Ukiyo-e magazine, an iconic album which revealed the details of the pluralistic nature of Edo social life. Being substantiated by the pictorial evidence of Ukiyo-e, this research explores the pluralistic significance of Edo social life focusing on the various realities of the city economic, social, and cultural manifestation.
