Nihonbashi Bridge — 日本橋(夜明)
by Kawase Hasui
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
- Image courtesy of
- Japanese Art Open Database
Description
This oban print depicts Nihonbashi, the stone bridge at the symbolic center of Edo commerce, at dawn (夜明, yoake). Hasui renders the transition from night to early morning light, the sky shifting through layered bokashi from deep indigo at the top to pale gold near the horizon. The bridge's stone balustrades and the warehouses of the merchant district are silhouetted against this gradated sky, while the Nihonbashi River reflects the dawn colors below. This is one of multiple published versions of the composition, with this impression likely distinguishable by its sky palette or printing generation. The subject carries historical weight — Nihonbashi was the origin point of the five major roads of the Edo period and remained a potent civic symbol through the Taisho and Showa eras when Hasui was working.
More Prints by Kawase Hasui
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Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"
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Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei)
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The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
1934
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Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami)
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Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nihonbashi Bridge — 日本橋(夜明) was created by Kawase Hasui (川瀬巴水).
Nihonbashi Bridge — 日本橋(夜明) depicts landscapes.