Japanese Art – Edo and Meiji Born Artists
Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Maeda Masao (1904–1974) was born in Hakodate, Hokkaido. He initially studied Western-style art under Umehara Ryūzaburō. Yet, by the 1940s, Maeda had turned his attention almost entirely toward printmaking, influenced by—and through his contacts with—the distinguished printmaker Hiratsuka Un’ichi.
Maeda and other artists played an important role in the post-war development of Japanese cultural soft power. Through sōsaku hanga, or creative prints, Japanese artists increasingly presented their individual visions to audiences beyond the archipelago. Maeda’s work was consequently well received internationally, contributing to the broader recognition of Japanese printmaking in the post-war era.
The British Museum describes Hiratsuka Un’ichi as follows: “Hiratsuka qualifies in every respect as the grand old man of the ‘Sosaku Hanga’ movement.” His influence therefore extended beyond his own artistic production, reaching a generation of printmakers who helped carry Japanese art into a new international environment.
Inoue Yasuji (1864–1889) belonged to an earlier generation. Born during the late Edo Period, he lived into the Meiji Period (1868–1912), but died tragically in his mid-twenties. A promising printmaker mentored by the esteemed Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847–1915), Yasuji’s artistic journey was cut short before his potential could fully unfold. His premature death naturally left Kiyochika and many others deeply saddened.
One often-recounted episode captures something of the determination behind Yasuji’s artistic ambitions. In the late 1870s, he reportedly encountered Kiyochika sketching beside the Sumida River in the bitter cold of winter. After watching the artist work for several hours, Yasuji summoned the courage to approach him and ask to become his pupil. From such encounters, the traditions of Japanese printmaking passed from one generation to another, even as the artistic landscape itself was undergoing profound change.
Sakuichi Fukazawa (1896–1947) was born during the Meiji Period (1868–1912), an era marked by rapid economic development and far-reaching social transformation. Japan’s cities were changing, and the art world was changing with them. New ideas, Western artistic influences, technological developments, the growing importance of photography, and the emergence of other visual mediums increasingly challenged established artistic conventions.
This atmosphere of experimentation can be sensed in One Hundred Views of New Tokyo (1928–1932), a remarkable collaborative project completed during the early Shōwa Period. The series brought together Maekawa Senpan, Hiratsuka Un’ichi, Kawakami Sumio, Onchi Kōshirō, Henmi Takashi, Suwa Kanenori, Sakuichi Fukazawa, and Fujimori Shizō. Their collective prints are particularly compelling because Tokyo is not presented through a single artistic voice. Instead, the city unfolds through numerous perspectives, capturing its changing streets, people, architecture, atmosphere, and modern identity.
In this respect, One Hundred Views of New Tokyo provides more than a visual record of a rapidly transforming capital. It also reveals the diversity of artistic responses to modern Japan, where tradition and experimentation could exist side by side.
The British Museum notes of Fukazawa: “Fukazawa was born in Niigata Prefecture, but his parents moved soon after to Tokyo, where he attended Tokyo Central School of Commerce and Industry.” His own journey, like those of the other artists involved, reflects a period when Tokyo itself was becoming a fascinating meeting point between inherited Japanese culture and the increasingly modern world.
https://moderntokyonews.com/?s=Art Past articles about ART via MODERN TOKYO NEWS (Modern Tokyo Times group)
MODERN TOKYO TIMES – MODERN TOKYO NEWS – please check https://moderntokyonews.com
Please check Modern Tokyo News at https://moderntokyonews.com for articles going back over 12 years. Sadly, Modern Tokyo Times got hacked and lost 14 years of articles…
Modern Tokyo News is part of the Modern Tokyo Times group
http://moderntokyotimes.com Modern Tokyo Times – International News and Japan News
http://sawakoart.com – Sawako Utsumi and Modern Tokyo Times artist
https://moderntokyonews.com Modern Tokyo News – Tokyo News and International News
PLEASE JOIN ON FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/moderntokyotimes