Mukōjima
- Date:
- c. 1914–1916
- Medium:
- Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
- Dimensions:
- 38.4 × 25.7 cm
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
Description
This ink and color woodblock print from circa 1914-1916 portrays Mukojima, the district along the east bank of the Sumida River known for its cherry trees, literary associations, and garden restaurants. Mukojima occupied a special place in Tokyo's cultural geography as a retreat from the dense commercial city, a place where Edo-period traditions of riverside leisure persisted into the modern era. Hakutei's rendering emphasizes the area's relationship to the river, capturing the low-lying landscape where water, vegetation, and scattered buildings merge. The sosaku-hanga approach allows Hakutei to imprint his personal response to the location directly into the carved block, without the mediating interpretation of a professional carver translating his design into wood.
More Prints by Ishii Hakutei
More Urban Scenes Prints
A Hundred Shades of Ink of Edo: Kiyonaga's Pipe (Edo zumi hyaku shoku: Kiyonaga no kiseru)
Woodblock print
View of Kabuki Theater from Matsuya (Ginza Matsuya yori Kabukiza), no. 3 from the series "Pictures of Ginza, First Series (Gashu Ginza dai isshu)"
1928
Color lithograph
Distant View of Mitsukoshi Movie Theater in Shinjuku from the Sixth Floor of Hoteiya (Hoteiya rokkai kara Shinjuku Mitsukoshi Musashi no kan enbo zu), no. 1 from the series "Scenery of Shinjuku (Gashu Shinjuku fukei)"
1930
Color lithograph
Spring Dusk at the Tōshō Shrine in Ueno
1948
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mukōjima was created by Ishii Hakutei (石井柏亭) in c. 1914–1916.
Mukōjima depicts urban scenes, cherry blossoms, and rivers & lakes.
Mukōjima measures 38.4 × 25.7 cm.