119 - Hasui: Saishô Temple in Hirosaki

Hasui: Saishô Temple in Hirosaki

This is a shin-hanga print by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957). It depicts a Saishô Temple in Hirosaki (Hirosaki, Saishô-in), and is taken from the series Collection of Scenic Views of Japan (Nihon fûkei shû higashi Nihon hen), 1936.

Hasui is one of the foremost shin-hanga artists. His speciality was landscapes and townscapes.

118 - Kuniyoshi: Fûten, the wind god.

Kuniyoshi: Fûten, the wind god.

This is Fûten (巽風), the wind god, manipulating his swirling bag accompanied by a storm-bird; a print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi. The print is from 1837 or 1838, and is part of a series of illustrations to a book, "Shûeki hakke e" 周易八卦絵, Universal Divination by the Eight Trigrams. Only two prints from this series are known; it is unclear if Kuniyoshi ever completed it.

The eight trigrams are symbols of Chinese origin. They can be combined into 64 different hexagrams and are used for divination. It is extensively described in the ancient Chinese book "I Ching".

According to legend, the trigrams were found on the back of a tortoise - a discovery attributed to Chinese emperor Fu Hsi, in the 24th century BC.

117 - Yoshitsuya: Fight Between Yorimitsu & Hakamadare

Yoshitsuya: Fight Between Yorimitsu & Hakamadare

This is a print from 1858, by Utagawa Yoshitsuya. Its complete title is "Battle Between Minamoto no Yorimitsu and his men and Hakamadare Yasusuke, assisted by a giant snake”.

Minamoto no Yorimitsu (aka Raiko) was a legendary Samurai hero, and Hakamadare Yasusuke, a likewise legendary bandit chief.

Hakamadare turns up in two stories in Konjaku Monogatari, an ancient collection of tales. In this print, Yorimitsu tries to destroy Hakamadare's magic.

116 - Kosetsu: Two biljin walking in a Cherry orchard at dusk

Kosetsu: Two biljin walking in a Cherry orchard at dusk

This is a print by a less known artist, Miseuchi Kosetsu, active in the 1920s. The print is probably from 1924, It's a bijinga with two bijin looking at cherry blossoms (sakura).

115 - Koson: Crow on a Snowy Bough

Ohara Koson: Crow on a Snowy Bough

This is a kachô-e by Ohara Koson (1877-1945), who was a brilliant artist when it comes to kachô-e within the shin hanga movement.

Kachô-e is a subgenre of ukiyo-e, shin hanga and Japanese art in general. Originally, its motives were flowers and birds, but more generally, it comprises flora and fauna. 

Japanese names are written with the family name first. Artists are mostly signing with their given name or a pseudonym. Ohara Koson signed his works "Koson", later "Shōson", and sometimes "Hoson".

This print, Crow on a Snowy Bough, was made some time between 1900 and 1910.

114 - Nishikawa Sukenobu: On the Wisdom of Animals

Nishikawa Sukenobu: On the Wisdom of Animals

Nishikawa Sukenobu (1671-1750) was one of the earliest ukiyo-e artists; it is possible he was Harunobu's teacher, but that cannot be verified.

I have not been able to establish from which exact year this print is, but the colour print was still not invented.

113 - Shōtei: Katsushika

Shōtei: Katsushika

Takahashi Shōtei (1871-1945) is considered as the creator of a style called shin-hanga. That means "new prints" and refers to a revival of ukiyo-e and is, in fact, evolved ukiyo-e.

The term was coined by publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō in 1915. He wanted to mark that it was not commercial mass art as ukiyo-e had been; contrary to ukiyo-e, it was also directed mainly to a western audience. Shin-hanga never became popular in Japan.