Samurai warriors, battle scene epics, heroes pacifying evil Yokai, mythical battles between legends, bloody prints, Miyamoto Musashi abreast a massive whale; The legendary heroes of Japan portrayed in woodblock prints in magnificent fashion by artists such as Kuniyoshi, Yoshitoshi, and others. Warriors of ukiyo-e or (musha-e) were celebrated during the Edo period and enshrined in legends such as Kuniyoshi's 108 Heroes of the Suikoden, published in 1828. Many of Japan's greatest samurai Heros have been portrayed in Japanese prints; however, the Shogunate government censored many ukiyo-e artists, decreeing a law prohibiting the portrayal or glorification of any samurai and their battles during the time leading up to the Edo period (1500-1600), as many of these battles depicted samurai battles fought against the Shogun and his supporters.