Kuwana
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
Description
This woodblock print depicts Kuwana, a historic post town on the Tokaido road where travelers crossed the waters of Ise Bay. Komori Soseki presents the settlement with the quietude typical of shin-hanga landscape work, emphasizing the town's waterfront setting and the expansive sky above. Kuwana was famous for its clam dishes and its role as a ferry point, a subject previously treated by Hiroshige in his Tokaido series. Soseki's version strips away the bustle of Hiroshige's crowds, favoring instead a contemplative stillness that reflects early Showa-era taste for lyrical, unpopulated scenery. The carved and printed textures suggest weathered wood, still water, and coastal atmosphere.
More Prints by Komori Soseki
More Landscapes Prints
Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei)
Woodblock print
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
Color woodblock print; oban
Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami)
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kuwana was created by Komori Soseki (小森漱石).
Kuwana depicts landscapes, seascapes, and travel scenes.