Japanese Art, Culture and Fashion during the Lifetime of Ogata Gekko (1859-1920) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Ogata Gekko was a very individualistic artist who had a rich style which was based on his upbringing. This applies to mainly being self-taught but this can be over-played because his free spirit was from within. Also, [...]
Japanese Art and Yōshū Chikanobu: From Edo to Meiji Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times This is a brief glimpse into the art work of Yoshu Chikanobu (Chikanobu Toyohara) who witnessed major changes in Japan. He lived between 1838 and 1912 and this period in Japanese history is very dynamic. This applies to the ending [...]
Japanese Art and the World of Ukiyo-e: International Impact and Pushing the Boundaries Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese art form called ukiyo-e relates to many aspects of Japanese culture throughout the Edo and Meiji period. This is because this amazing art form was expansive and despite government interference from time to [...]
Japanese Ukiyo-e in a Changing Artistic Landscape: Chikanobu and the Impact of Modernity Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Yoshu Chikanobu (Toyohara Chikanobu) lived between 1838 and 1912 and much of his art highlights the changing nature of Japan. The opening up of the land of the rising sun after the Meiji Restoration provided many [...]
Japanese Folklore and Art: Kyosai and the World of the Tengu Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Kawanabe Kyosai is extremely fascinating because of his individualistic spirit and this is witnessed in his art. Kyosai, just like the mysterious Tengu, belonged to two worlds and this applies to the old Edo period [...]
Gajo – Traditional Bindings for Japanese Woodblock Prints By toshidama There’s a fantastic feeling that you get when you hold a perfect ukiyo print in your hands, one that has escaped the ravages of time. Edo (Tokyo) has been plagued by fires which were so frequent in the past that they were referred to as the [...]
Toshidama Gallery and Japanese art: stunning ukiyo-e By toshidama Why? Why would these artists paint the same motif so many times over so many years? There is undoubtedly for both artists a spiritual dimension to their constant interest. For Hokusai who was a devout Buddhist, as for many Japanese, Fuji was symbolic of eternal life, a [...]
Japanese Art and Culture: Japan Ukiyo-e Museum in Matsumoto Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Ukiyo-e expresses the richness of Japanese culture, nature, history, mythology, theatre, stunning landscapes, and highlights the importance of entertainment and other areas. Also, ukiyo-e shows vivid images of sexuality and some shunga is extremely explicit even by the standards of [...]
Japanese Gifts – Toshidama Explained By toshidama People sometimes say to us: “what is a Toshidama?” The characteristic round seal seen on many nineteenth century Japanese prints is called a Toshidama Seal. It was used at some point by most artists of the Utagawa School. At first it looks like the silhouette of a diamond ring with four [...]
Looking at Prints: Two Women and a Dog by Utagawa Toyohiro toshidama What can we tell of this brush drawing by Toyohiro? The drawing tells us a great deal about the process of Japanese woodblock printing and raises questions which everyone has about authenticity and process. This drawing is from the early 1800’s by [...]
Japanese Warrior Prints – Reverie and Reportage By toshidama Woodblock prints of Japanese warriors tended to dominate the ukiyo-e scene from the 1820’s until nearly the end of the century. What is surprising is how so many prints were produced of battles, skirmishes, victories and defeats without actually witnessing any. Japan had experienced an unprecedented period of [...]
West Meets East in Japanese Prints (earlier than expected) by toshidama Most people tend to think of Japan as being sealed from the rest of the world until Commander Perry’s famous gunboat diplomacy of 1854. This is true in the main but there are notable examples of Dutch fraternisation prior to the reforms that led to Japan’s [...]
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