Nihonbashi in Snow

Description

Bannai Kokan depicts Nihonbashi with snow falling around. The Nihonbashi is a popular bridge to depict for woodblock artists. The bridge symbolizes business and modernity in Japan, and taken together the many woodblock prints serve to chronicle the progressing modernization of Japan in the 20th century. The first edition of the current design was made around 1930 with older buildings and boats still present, but also some higher stone buildings around and trams visible on the bridge. Yet, even here the snow brings tranquility that Bannai Kokan manages to capture in his print as well.