Kasamatsu Shiro – Kamakura Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine

Original woodblock print. The first edition of this design was published circa 1950. The current print was printed in the Reiwa period (2019 – present).

In the current print, “Kamakura Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine,” Kasamatsu Shiro allows the viewer to see the main hall of the shrine from beneath the stairs in front of it. This approach increases the impressiveness of the main hall, yet the scene remains exceptionally tranquil and warm. While people calmly walk up the stairs, two girls are seen feeding a few pigeons below. It must be the beginning of autumn, as the leaves of the giant ginkgo tree next to the stairway are already colored, while the leaves of other trees still remain green. Together with the colorful clothes, the shrine, and the bright sky, the scene exudes a calm pleasantness.

The Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, located in Kamakura, is almost a thousand years old. It is dedicated to the deity Hachiman, worshipped by samurai. Like woodblock print artists before him, Kasamatsu Shiro depicts the main hall together with the ginkgo tree that has been present at the shrine almost since its beginning. It was damaged in 2010, leaving woodblock prints such as this one to retain the old imagery.

Image size (excluding margins): 36.5 * 24.0 cm (14.4 * 9.4 in).

The print is in excellent condition.

The pictures shown here are from the print itself.

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Kasamatsu Shiro (1898-1991) was a prolific and famous woodblock artist. When only aged thirteen he started as an apprentice. He could trace part of his artistic lineage back via Kaburagi and Yoshitoshi, connecting him to the great Ukiyo-e masters of the 19th century.

He created many prints in the Shin-Hanga style. Many of these depicted traditional themes like landscapes and temples, but within that Shiro displayed great diversity. His prints in the period of 1952-1960 in this style were very successful. This enabled him to experiment and he started working in the Sōsaku-Hanga (creative prints) movement as well, not only designing but also carving and printing himself.

See an overview of Kasamatsu Shiro's woodblock prints