Hokusai and The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife: erotic or hidden meaning? Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Katsushika Hokusai is internationally famous because of the many adorable pieces of art that he produced. However, Hokusai also produced art which was extremely erotic because shunga (erotic art) was very popular, despite political constraints during periods [...]
Japanese art and Ogata Gekko: individualism during a changing landscape Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The life of Ogata Gekko is extremely fascinating because he lived during a period of momentous times in Japan. He was born in 1859 during the Edo Period but the Meiji Restoration of 1868 would usher in many revolutionary [...]
Japanese art and Yorozu Tetsugoro: the endless searcher Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Japanese art is extremely diverse and during the lifetime of Yorozu Tetsugoro he witnessed many changes (1885-1927) because the Meiji Period opened up Japan to new thought patterns. In the field of art this radically altered the art scene because the [...]
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Japanese ukiyo-e Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) adored Japanese ukiyo-e and many famous international artists also fell in love with this art form. Toulouse-Lautrec and his lifestyle would certainly have fit in well with the environment of Yoshiwara in Tokyo, which is famous for prostitution. Indeed, [...]
Japanese art and Asai Chu: the eclipse of ukiyo-e by western style art Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Meiji Restoration of 1868 led to many social convulsions and like all revolutionary periods you had many winners and losers. This applies to individuals who could adapt to the rapid changes in society and [...]
Japanese art and Yasui Sotaro: the allure of Paris and uniqueness of Japanese art Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Yasui Sotaro (1888-1955) was born in Kyoto and he is famous for yoga (Western-style) portraiture. It is clear that this talented individual understood his vocation because he pursued a career in art despite his family [...]
Edgar Degas and Japanese art: inspired by ukiyo-e Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Japanese ukiyo-e inspired many artists in distant lands and Edgar Degas was one of the many international artists who came to admire this art form. Edgar Degas (1834-1917) was born in Paris into a wealthy family and he was blessed to [...]
Japanese art and Utamaro Kitagawa: striking ukiyo-e artist Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The exact date of the birth of Utamaro Kitagawa and strong details about his parents remain shrouded in mystery. It is known that this striking ukiyo-e artist was born in the middle of the eighteenth century and that he died in [...]
Japanese art and Saburosuke Okada: the power of Paris Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Saburosuke Okada (1869-1939) was born one year after the Meiji Restoration of 1868 and he would witness many changes throughout his life. This applies to the Meiji period, Taisho era, and the early part of the Showa period. Throughout these [...]
Japanese art and culture: Hokusai and the soul of Mount Fuji Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Katsushika Hokusai is one of the most internationally famous Japanese artists of all time. He was born in 1760 and died in 1849 and throughout his life he refused to abide by stratification because he was a free [...]
Japanese art and Shigeru Aoki: a very rich legacy despite dying very young Modern Tokyo Times Lee Jay Walker Shigeru Aoki passed away at the age of 28 in 1911 therefore his life was curtailed because of ill health. Despite this, he left a legacy in the art world of Japan because of the work he [...]
Bonsai Trees in Japanese Prints – Small is Beautiful By toshidama I suppose that if you were to ask most people about traditional Japanese culture, they would talk about geishas and samurai, sushi, kimonos and bonsai trees. It’s likely though that few people would know much about the bonsai tree and probably would not have seen one. [...]
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