Japan Art and the Moon
Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
![](https://moderntokyotimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Yoshimune-Arai-new-japan-art-moon-ferry-boat-nice.jpg)
The central theme in the three diverse prints is the moon and the notable differences in the landscapes and settings of each print.
Above is a stunning print by Yoshimune Arai, with the striking moon illuminating the sky. It is easy to imagine the awe of the view that the lady witnessed – while for the ferryman, a sight seen on many working occasions.
![](https://moderntokyotimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Okuyama-Gihachiro-village-house-1950s.jpg)
Yoshimune Arai produced stunning shin hanga (new prints). However, little is known about this printmaker. Accordingly, he was born either in the late Edo Period or early Meiji Period – and died in the 1940s (neither date fully known).
In contrast to the first print, Okuyama Gihachiro (1907-1981) focuses on a snow-filled landscape illuminated by a striking moon. He created this stunning print in the early 1950s.
![](https://moderntokyotimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Tokuriki-Tomikichiro-Ishiyama-Temple-Kyoto-1950s.jpg)
The final print is by Tokuriki Tomikichiro (1902-1999). He was born in Kyoto. Accordingly, the print above – completed in the 1950s – highlights a stunning Buddhist compound.
The British Museum says, “The last of a long line of traditional-style painters, he turned early to woodblock prints and became a leader of the Kyoto ‘Sosaku Hanga’. He graduated from the Kyoto City School of Fine Arts and Crafts and then from the Kyoto City Specialist School of Painting in 1924.”
![](http://moderntokyotimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/mtt-modern-new-1.png)
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