First Make-Up of the New Year (Hatsugesho)

This oban woodblock print depicts Hatsugesho, the first make-up or first grooming of the New Year, a traditional custom in which women, particularly those in the geisha and maiko world, apply their cosmetics with special care to mark the beginning of a new year. Domoto's rendering of this intimate ritual connects his printmaking to the bijin-ga tradition while grounding the subject in a specific seasonal custom. The act of applying make-up becomes a ceremony of renewal, with each brushstroke of white powder, rouge, and black liner carrying the symbolic weight of fresh beginnings. Domoto's Nihonga-trained eye for texture and color serves the subject well, as the contrast between bare skin and applied cosmetics, between the softness of the face and the precision of the make-up, defines the visual interest of the scene.