The open water off Kawasaki — the industrial town on Tokyo Bay between Yokohama and the capital — is depicted under moonlight in this early 1877 nishiki-e. The bay's broad expanse, punctuated by the lanterns of fishing boats and the reflected streak of moonlight, creates a minimalist seascape composition that relies entirely on tonal control rather than incident. This is among Kiyochika's earliest dated works in his kōsen-ga style, already demonstrating the atmospheric restraint that would define his mature Tokyo period.
1940
Woodblock print
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
Boshu Taikai
1925
Color woodblock print; oban
September 1931
Color woodblock print; oban
Moonlit Sea at Kawasaki was created by Kobayashi Kiyochika (小林清親) in 1877.
Moonlit Sea at Kawasaki depicts seascapes, moonlight, and night scenes.
Moonlit Sea at Kawasaki measures 24.4 × 36.5 cm (Oban format).
