An aka-e (赤絵 "red picture") is a type of ukiyo-e that is printed entirely or predominantly in red. Aka-e were said to be talismans against smallpox, especially when they bore images of Shōki the demon queller. A woodblock print having a significant portion of the design entirely in red may also be considered to be an aka-e.

Gallery

Courtesan and Boy Flower Seller, an aka-e by Okumura Masanobu, c. 1730s
Shōki Appearing in a Dream (Muchû Shôki shutsugen no zu), a chûban an aka-e by Sadanobu Hasegawa I, c. 1840

References

Itō, Kyōko, "Disease Prevention Prints", Daruma, Issue 40, Vol. 10, No. 4, Autumn 2003, 13–27.
Newland, Amy Reigle, Hotei Encyclopedia of Japanese Woodblock Prints, Amsterdam, Hotei, 2005, p. 418, ISBN 978-90-74822-65-7
Ujlaki, Peter, "Aka-e-Talisman Prints", Daruma, Issue 51, Vol. 13, No. 3, Summer 2006, p. 53.

v t e Ukiyo-e
General	List of ukiyo-e terms Woodblock printing in Japan
Themes	Aka-e Beni-e Bijin-ga Boshi-e Egoyomi Fushiga Hanshita-e Hashira-e Jōge-e Kachō-e Kage-e Kaika-e Kodomo-e Komochi-e Kuchi-e Megane-e Meisho-e Mitate-e Moji-e Monogatari-e Monozukushi-e Musha-e Muzan-e Namazu-e Ogao-e Ōkubi-e Omocha-e Senso-e Shini-e Shita-e Shunga Sumo-e Surimono Uchiwa-e Uki-e Yakusha-e Yūrei-zu
Region specific themes	Kamigata-e Nagasaki-e Yokohama-e
Techniques	Aizuri-e Benizuri-e Bokashi Ishizuri-e Kappazuri-e Kirazuri-e Nishiki-e Sumizuri-e Tan-e Urushi-e
Schools	Kaigetsudō school Katsukawa school Torii school Utagawa school List of Utagawa school members
Related traditions	E-hon Nikuhitsu-ga Shin-hanga Sōsaku-hanga Tosa-ha