Kagurazaka at Ushigome
by Noël Nouët
by Noël Nouët
$500–$4,000. Common Tokyo views: $500–$1,500. Key value factors: Nouet's Tokyo views have historical as well as artistic value, documenting pre-war landmarks. French connection adds collector interest.
This [oban](/glossary/oban) woodblock print shows Kagurazaka from the perspective of Ushigome, the broader neighborhood that encompasses the famous sloping street. Ushigome was historically a residential area for samurai retainers, and its terrain of hills and valleys gave the district a varied topography that Nouet found visually compelling. The view from Ushigome likely looks toward or along Kagurazaka's ascending slope, framing the old pleasure quarter within the context of its surrounding urban landscape. Nouet's composition may include the Sotobori moat or the railway line that cuts through the area, elements that anchor the scene in the specific geography of northwestern central Tokyo. The print captures a pre-war Tokyo neighborhood that combined Edo-period street patterns with Meiji and Taisho-era modernization.
Woodblock print
1928
Color lithograph
1930
Color lithograph
1948
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Kagurazaka at Ushigome was created by Noël Nouët.
Kagurazaka at Ushigome was published by Unsodo.
Kagurazaka at Ushigome depicts urban scenes and landscapes.
