Hanga
Ueno Park, Tokyo by Kawase Hasui — Japanese Woodblock print

Ueno Park, Tokyo

by Kawase Hasui

Medium:
Woodblock print
Image courtesy of
Honolulu Museum of Art

Description

Ueno Park appears frequently in Hasui's catalog of Tokyo subjects, and this print represents one of his composed views of the park's grounds. Established in 1873 on former temple precincts, Ueno Park contained Shinobazu Pond, several Edo-period shrines, and one of Tokyo's principal museum complexes, offering varied compositional material across different areas. The park's sakura groves along the main promenade drew large seasonal crowds, and Hasui's prints of the site captured both the quieter off-season atmosphere and the festive hanami spectacle. Published through Watanabe Shozaburo, the print was produced by specialist carvers interpreting Hasui's watercolor sketch and printers applying pigment to dampened hosho or washi through successive block impressions. The sky treatment — a defining element of Hasui's atmospheric effect — required careful calibration of bokashi gradation across the entire upper register of the composition.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Ueno Park, Tokyo was created by Kawase Hasui (川瀬巴水).

Ueno Park, Tokyo depicts gardens.