Kamakura Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine

Description

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.