Moonlight on Tamagawa

Description

The moon shines on Tama river, flowing in front of Mount Fuji in the background. Both Hokusai and Hiroshige depicted the Tamagawa and Mount Fuji together, and although the differences in style compared to the print by Koichi Okada are evident, the similarities in the scenes are also pronounced. This is especially true when comparing the upper half of the oban-sized print by Hiroshige to that of Koichi Okada. Both depict Mount Fuji in the background, down to the hills in front of it, with houses near the Tama River, fishing activity along its banks, and a traditional boat carrying a single passenger on the river. In many ways, Koichi Okada’s series “Twelve Views of Japan” seems to draw from the prominent Fuji series of 19th-century woodblock artists, offering a Shin-hanga version that was unfortunately never finished and only comprises six designs. That said, the ones that exist are stunning, and, as perhaps highlighted by the similarities with the prints of Hiroshige, Koichi Okada superbly managed to capture the timeless beauty of Mount Fuji and its surroundings with them.