Japan Art and Atmosphere of Mount Fuji
Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Keisen Ikeda was born in the twilight of the Edo Period in the early 1860s and passed away in 1931. His lifetime therefore crossed several defining chapters of Japanese history: the final years of the shogunate, the Meiji era (1868–1912), the Taishō era (1912–1926), and the opening years of Shōwa. His artistic journey consequently belongs to a fascinating period when Japan was experiencing profound transformation while continuing to preserve the cultural memory of earlier centuries. Within his paintings, the refinement of the classical tradition could therefore coexist with the changing sensibilities of modern Japan.
Keisen first opened his eyes in Ise Province, a region inseparable from the spiritual foundations of Japanese culture. Here stands the Grand Shrine of Ise, the most revered sanctuary of Shintō and a sacred centre dedicated to Amaterasu Ōmikami, the sun goddess and imperial ancestral deity. The cultural landscape surrounding Ise was therefore one in which nature, ritual, ancestry, and spirituality existed in close conversation. For an artist who would later devote himself to landscape, such an environment provides an especially meaningful cultural backdrop: mountains, forests, water, mist, and changing seasons are not merely subjects of visual beauty, but part of a much older Japanese understanding of humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
Kawase Hasui (1883-1957) created stunning art throughout his life. He belongs to the printing world of Shin-Hanga (New Prints) that lit up the printing world in the early twentieth century. In the above art piece, Hasui focuses on the iconic Mount Fuji.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art aptly notes that Hasui was a leading figure of Shin-hanga, a movement devoted to revitalizing traditional techniques and themes while quietly embracing modern sensibilities. Likewise, the British Museum highlights the path he traveled—guided by early mentors such as Aoyanagi Bokusen and Araki Kan’yu, refined through exposure to Western-style painting at the Hakuba-kai, and further shaped under the tutelage of Okada Saburōsuke. His artistic name, bestowed by Kaburaki Kiyokata, marked a turning point, while the subtle influence of Imamura Shikō enriched his palette and sensitivity.
The delightful vision of Mount Fuji above is by Shibata Zeshin (1807–1891), a master whose remarkable life bridged the twilight of the Edo period and the dawn of Meiji Japan. Living through one of the greatest transformations in Japanese history, Zeshin witnessed tradition yielding to modernity as new technologies, foreign influences, and artistic ideas reshaped the cultural landscape. Yet, amid these shifting tides, he remained deeply rooted in the refined aesthetics of classical Japan.
The British Museum describes Zeshin as being “best known as a lacquer craftsman, trained from the age of eleven with Koma Kansai II (1766–1835); also successful painter in the Shijō style, which he studied under Suzuki Nanrei from the age of sixteen.” His mastery united technical brilliance with poetic imagination, allowing him to elevate lacquer beyond craftsmanship into the realm of fine art.
During the early Meiji era (1868–1912), Japanese lacquerware captivated audiences throughout Europe and North America. As appreciation for Japanese aesthetics blossomed abroad, Zeshin’s exquisite creations became celebrated far beyond the shores of his homeland, earning him an enduring place among Japan’s greatest artistic ambassadors.
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