Splendor of the Procession of General Grant from America (Beikoku Guranto-shi go tsuko no han'ei). Artist: Toyohara Kunichika (Japanese, 1835-1900). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 14 3/4 x 29 3/4 in. (37.5 x 75.6 cm). Date: 1879.This print was commissioned to commemorate the former American president's visit to Tokyo (Edo was renamed Tokyo when the emperor made it his residence in 1868) and his attendance at a Kabuki performance. Like many prints executed during the Meiji era, this one acted as a type of Japanese photojournalism. As such, the speed with which it was executed and the number of copies made are partly responsible for the general decline in quality most noticeable in the color registration and uneven paint application. The setting of the print can be identified as Tokyo's new Western-style Main Street located in the Ginza district and designed by the English architect Thomas Waters. In their choice of setting, Kunichika and Kunisada III consciously celebrate the advent of mod