Japan art and Otake Kokkan (1880-1945): Rebellious spirit Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Otake Kokkan (Kokukan) was born during the Meiji Period. He witnessed enormous economic, military, political, and social convulsions throughout his life. Therefore, similar to other Japanese artists in this period of history, Kokkan felt the enormous artistic changes…
Japan art and folklore: Samurai Taira no Tadamori Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Taira clan was one of the four notable family clans of old Japan. Fujiwara, Minamoto, and Tachibana were the other notable families. Hence, Taira no Tadamori (1096-1153) was a potent samurai leader in 12th-century Japan. Tadamori was known for his…
Japan art and Natori Shunsen: kabuki yakusha-e actor pictures Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Natori Shunsen (1886-1960) was an esteemed Japanese woodblock printer. He is known for his amazing portraits of kabuki actors. However, his own tragic ending of his life – and his wife – was equally dramatic and devastating as the greatest of kabuki…
Japan art and Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770): Ladies and style Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770) became the most potent artist depicting beautiful ladies (bijin-ga) in the 1760s. Initially, Harunobu was inspired by Nishikawa Sukenobu. However, in time he developed his own distinctive style. Harunobu was instrumental in Nishiki-e (multi-colored woodblock printing). This new multi-colored woodblock…
Japan art and Yoshu Chikanobu (1838-1912): Military to art Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Yoshu Chikanobu (Toyohara Chikanobu) witnessed much during his time on this earth. Artistically, it was also a time of internal momentous changes in Japan. Therefore, throughout his lifetime (1838-1912), the ending of the Edo Period to the dynamics of the…
Japan art and Tsuchida Bakusen: Sado Island and Nichiren Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Tsuchida Bakusen (1887-1936) was known for Nihonga style art. Hence, despite his father wanting him to be a Buddhist monk, he chose the art world. Therefore, the art world was lucky he chose this path because he created many stunning art pieces.…
Art of Japan and Ohara Koson: Kacho-ga and birds Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Ohara Koson (1877-1945) is famous for Kacho-ga art. This literally refers to images of birds and flowers. Thus Koson illuminates nature concerning animals, birds, flowers, insects, and plants – while utilizing the changing seasons. Koson also created art concerning…
Art of Japan and Shibata Zeshin: Beauty of simplicity Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The artistic beauty of simplicity is illuminated by Shibata Zeshin (1807-1891). However, despite the simplicity of these art pieces in this article, several mysterious angles still appear. Therefore, the creativity of the imagination is a wonder to behold. Zeshin is famous…
Japan art and Tōshi Yoshida: Calm Before the US carpet-bombing storm Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Tōshi Yoshida (1911-1995) was the son of a distinguished artist. His father, Hiroshi Yoshida, was deeply respected for his Shin-Hanga art. However, his son would eventually focus on the Sōsaku Hanga art movement. Tōshi suffered…
Japan art in the snow: Kawase Hasui (1883-1957) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Kawase Hasui (1883-1957) belongs to the world of Shin-Hanga (New Prints). Throughout his life, he witnessed the dramatic changes that engulfed Japan. However, when viewing his art, you can still feel a connection with the past that provides comfort. These art pieces…
Japan art and Shibata Zeshin (1807-1891) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The artist Shibata Zeshin (1807-1891) belongs to the Edo and Meiji periods of Japanese history. He fully understood the artistic shifting sands that took place in Japan. However, while Zeshin gained notoriety outside Japan, he was often deemed outside the lacquerer angle with…
Japan art and Toshikata Mizuno (1866-1908) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Toshikata Mizuno (1866-1908) was born in Tokyo. His world was the Meiji Period (1868-1912) which altered Japan enormously. This equally applies to internal and external convulsions because Japanese military expansionism began in Northeast Asia. Mizuno began to study printmaking when 13…
Japan art and and Ohara Koson: Kacho-ga art of birds and nature Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Kacho-ga art literally refers to images of birds and flowers in Japan. Hence, the esteemed artist Ohara Koson (1877-1945) focused on nature related to animals, birds, flowers, insects, and plants. Therefore, despite also doing other types of art…
Japan art and Natori Shunsen: Tragedy of life Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese woodblock printer, Natori Shunsen (1886-1960), was an esteemed artist of kabuki actor portraits. His love of kabuki portraits took off when he was an illustrator at Asahi Shimbun. Shortly after his birth, his family left Yamanashi Prefecture and relocated to Tokyo. At the age…
Japan art and Hishida Shunsō: The ticking clock of life Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The amazing art of Hishida Shunsō (1874-1911) is a wonder to behold. However, the ticking clock of life abruptly ended when he was 36 years of age. Therefore, one can only imagine the artistic heights that Shunsō would have reached. Indeed, knowing his…
Japan art and Kitano Tsunetomi: Impact of Osaka Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Kitano Tsunetomi (1880-1947) belongs to the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods in Japan. Despite being born in Kanazawa (Ishikawa Prefecture), he was influenced by the Osaka art scene. His first artistic studies entailed designing woodblock prints and carving. After…
Japan art and Yoshida Hiroshi (1876 – 1950): Lover of nature Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Yoshida Hiroshi (1876 – 1950) was influenced by Western-style painting and internal artistic traditions. Nature especially appealed to Yoshida. Therefore, the natural beauty of nature was meant to transfix the viewer of his art. He was born…
Japan art and Hokusai: Mount Fuji and the working-class Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) is one of the most famous artists to hail from Japan. Many Western artists came to adore many aspects of his art in the nineteenth century – and this continued the following century. Hokusai’s Thirty-six…
Contemporary Japanese artist: Buddhism, Shintoism, and Monks in the snow Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Sawako Utsumi is a contemporary Japanese artist who hails from northern Japan. In many of her art pieces, you find religious sentiments. This might be outright, for example, Nichiren in contemplation, or more subtle with Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples,…
Japanese contemporary artist: Trees, Shinto, and contrast Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Sawako Utsumi is a contemporary Japanese artist who hails from northern Japan. In this art piece, the focus is on her different dimensions to trees that highlight the sublime beauty of nature. The various settings concerning Japanese dimensions and natural landscapes in Europe…
The brief fleeting flower of the Japanese artist Shigeru Aoki Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Shigeru Aoki (1882-1911) blossomed quickly but family problems and then tuberculosis would soon take him from this world. Hence, the promising artistic flower of Aoki parted before even reaching 29. This sad reality means that nobody…
Changing dynamics of Japanese art during the Meiji era Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Utagawa Sadahide (Gountei Sadahide) witnessed the first years of modernization in Japan that emerged after the 1868 Meiji Restoration. Yet, prior to this dramatic period in Japanese history, the artist Sadahide depicted aspects of Western encroachment. Indeed, while many spectrums…
Japanese art and the brief artistic life of Shigeru Aoki (1882-1911) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Shigeru Aoki (1882-1911) blossomed quickly but family problems and then tuberculosis would soon take him from this world. Hence, the promising artistic flower of Aoki parted before even reaching 29. This sad reality means that…
Art of Japan and changing times: Yokohama-e and Western encroachment Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Utagawa Sadahide (Gountei Sadahide) witnessed the first years of modernization in Japan that emerged after the 1868 Meiji Restoration. Yet, prior to this dramatic period in Japanese history, the artist Sadahide depicted aspects of Western encroachment. Indeed, while many…
Western Encroachment and Japanese Art: Yokohama-e and Sadahide Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Utagawa Sadahide (Gountei Sadahide) witnessed the first years of modernization in Japan that emerged after the 1868 Meiji Restoration. Yet, prior to this dramatic period in Japanese history, the artist Sadahide depicted aspects of Western encroachment. Indeed, while many spectrums of…
Art of Japan and Western Encroachment: Utagawa Sadahide (Gountei Sadahide) and Yokohama-e Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Utagawa Sadahide (Gountei Sadahide) witnessed the first years of modernization in Japan that emerged after the 1868 Meiji Restoration. Yet, prior to this dramatic period in Japanese history, the artist Sadahide depicted aspects of Western encroachment. Indeed,…
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