Kawase Hasui was a Japanese printmaker active from the Taisho to Showa periods. He is one of the leading artists of the "Shinhanga" movement, and is known for his lyrical depictions of landscapes from all over Japan. His refined compositions and limpid colors in particular have earned him high praise both at home and abroad. His works are often searched for by many lovers of traditional Japanese beauty using keywords such as "Kawase Hasui Shinhanga," "Kawase Hasui Landscape Prints," and "Kawase Hasui Snow."

Kawase Hasui's biography

• Born on May 18, 1883 (Meiji 16) in Shiba Ward, Tokyo (present-day Shinbashi, Minato Ward, Tokyo)
• He was familiar with Japanese painting from an early age, and in 1909 he studied Japanese painting under Kaburagi Kiyokata.
• In 1910, he entered the Aoibashi Western Painting Institute and studied under Okada Saburosuke and Fujishima Takeji.
• In 1918, inspired by Ito Shinsui's "Eight Views of Omi," he decided to become a printmaker.
• Promoting the "Shinhanga" movement in cooperation with publisher Shozaburo Watanabe
• Traveled all over Japan and produced numerous landscape prints
• In 1953, he was recommended as a holder of the Important Intangible Cultural Property "Woodblock Printing" technique, but declined.
• 1956: Received the Japan Art Academy Prize
• Died in Tokyo on November 7, 1957 (aged 74)

Representative works

• "Zojoji Temple, Shiba from "Twelve Scenes of Tokyo"" (1921)
• "Morning at Dotonbori, Osaka, from "Souvenirs of Travel II"" (1921)
• "Magome Moon from "Twenty Views of Tokyo"" (1930)
• "Nikko Road, Tochigi Prefecture from "Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan"" (1933)
• Shiobara Okan Road (1949)

Hasui's style of painting is characterized by a style known as "Shin-hanga," which incorporates Western realistic expression while inheriting the techniques of traditional Japanese ukiyo-e prints. He was particularly skilled in expressing light and shadow, and excelled in delicate depictions of landscapes reflected on the water's surface and snowscapes. His representative work, "Twelve Subjects of Tokyo: Zojoji Temple, Shiba," is a masterpiece that depicts Zojoji Temple in a snowy landscape in a tranquil atmosphere. It is widely known as one of his most famous works, with keywords such as "Kawase Hasui Zojoji Temple" and "Kawase Hasui Snow." This work was also owned by Steve Jobs.

In addition, works such as "Travel Souvenirs Volume 2: Morning in Dotonbori, Osaka" and "Twenty Views of Tokyo: Moon over Magome" depict landscapes from various parts of Japan with a rich sense of travel emotion, and their beautiful colors and lyricism have made them beloved by many people, with keywords such as "Kawase Hasui Landscape Prints" and "Kawase Hasui New Prints."

Hasui traveled extensively throughout Japan throughout his life, producing over 600 landscape prints. His works, rich in poetic emotion, depict the beautiful nature of Japan and the lives of the people who inhabit it, and continue to inspire many people today. His works are housed in art museums both in Japan and abroad, and by searching for "Kawase Hasui works" and "Kawase Hasui Museum," you can find information on museums where you can view his work. Additionally, at Watanabe Woodblock Print Shop, the publisher with the closest relationship to Kawase, you can view many of Hasui's prints by searching for "Kawase Hasui prints."