$1,000–$6,000. Common subjects: $1,000–$2,000. Key value factors: Nishijima's nostalgic Japanese village scenes appeal to collectors worldwide. Limited editions maintain value well.
"Kokoromachi" — literally "waiting with the heart," conveying the particular quality of longing anticipation — is Nishijima's name for this Kyoto streetscape rendered in the mood of patient expectancy. The narrow machiya townhouse street of Kyoto's historic districts is his territory of expertise, and here he captures it in a palette and light that suggest waiting: the street quiet, the surfaces expectant, the composition implying just off-frame the arrival that will complete the scene. The Japanese title's emotional resonance transforms what might be mere topography into a psychological state.
Woodblock print
1928
Color lithograph
1930
Color lithograph
1948
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
KOKOROMACHI (Kyoto Street) was created by Katsuyuki Nishijima (西島勝之).
KOKOROMACHI (Kyoto Street) depicts urban scenes, set at Kyoto.
