Kasamatsu Shiro – Snow at Yomei Gate in Nikko

Original woodblock print. The first edition of this design was published in 1952. The current print was printed in the Reiwa period (2019 – present).

Kasamatsu Shiro’s “Snow at Yomei Gate, Nikko” depicts Japan’s most famous gate, the Yomeimon or Sunlight Gate, part of the Nikko Toshogu Shrine. Built in 1636 and maintained well throughout the ages, the Yomei Gate is an imposing gate, decorated with an enormous amount of golden leaves and containing over 500 sculptures. They depict ancient stories as well. For example one of Sima Guang, who as a child broke a valuable water vat without any hesitation to save a playmate who had fallen into it, affirming that goods are incomparable to human life in value. As such, the gate conveys much more than luxurious decoration. It is said that it contains so much that one can look at it endlessly, giving it yet another name: The all-day gate.

The Yomei Gate has been depicted by the who’s who of Shin hanga artists, with Hiroshi Yoshida, Takahashi Shotei, Kawase Hasui and Tsuchiya Koitsu all having created prints of the gate as well. The print by Takahashi Shotei is closest to Kasamatsu Shiro print in that it shows the Yomei Gate in snow as well, but of course, in quite a different style.

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 Kasamatsu Shiro’s woodblock prints.

See an overview of Kasamatsu Shiro's woodblock prints