Snow at Yomei Gate in Nikko

Description

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.