Cherry blossom subjects carry a 50–80% premium over comparable Yoshida landscapes, reflecting their universal collector appeal. The benchmark for this subject is Kumoi Cherry Trees (only 50 impressions), which sold for $21,420 at Christie's in 2024. Standalone cherry blossom works, while less rare, consistently outperform standard Japanese landscapes at auction.
Kawagoe in Saitama Prefecture — a castle town on the Kanto Plain sometimes called "Little Edo" for its surviving Edo-period merchant district — is home to a famous ancient cherry tree that Yoshida depicted in this 1935 print. Single, ancient cherry trees carry particular weight in Japanese aesthetics: unlike the massed spectacle of an avenue or hillside in full bloom, the solitary aged tree embodies the full life cycle of the [sakura](/glossary/sakura), its gnarled trunk and twisted branches witnesses to centuries of ephemeral seasonal blooming. Yoshida captures the tree in its full spring magnificence, its canopy extended and flowering, while the composition also acknowledges the architectural surroundings of the historic town in which the tree stands.
Kumoi sakura
1926
Color woodblock print
1935
Color woodblock print
Romon
1935
Color woodblock print
円山公園桜
Woodblock print
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
The Cherry Tree in Kawagoe was created by Hiroshi Yoshida (吉田博) in 1935.
The Cherry Tree in Kawagoe uses Bokashi, Nishiki-e, and Moku-hanga, on color woodblock print.
The Cherry Tree in Kawagoe was published by Yoshida Studio (1935).
The Cherry Tree in Kawagoe depicts cherry blossoms and trees.
The Cherry Tree in Kawagoe measures 37.6 × 39.7 cm (Oban format).
