
Kameyama Castle 2
by Ido Masao
- Medium:
- Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
- Image courtesy of
- Saru Gallery
Description
As the second print in a sequence on Kameyama Castle — likely the Tamba Kameyama in Kameoka, Kyoto Prefecture, originally built by Akechi Mitsuhide in 1577 — this composition probably presents the keep from a different angle, season, or distance than its companion. Ido's castle prints typically employ wide-format layouts that situate the donjon within the surrounding terrain rather than isolating the structure as an architectural portrait, using [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) gradation in the sky to establish atmospheric depth and dense keyblock work to register the geometry of stone walls, tile rooflines, and timber lattice. The composition would set masonry against vegetation, with seasonal cues in the trees and ground vegetation locating the moment of observation. Castle subjects belong to Ido's broader engagement with traditional Japanese sites of cultural continuity, sharing technical and compositional approach with his Kyoto temple cycle while extending his record beyond the ancient capital to other historic landmarks across the country.







