Ginza at Night, from the series Recollections of Tokyo
- Series:
- Recollections of Tokyo
- Date:
- 1945
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
"Ginza at Night, from the series Recollections of Tokyo," 1945, captures one of Japan's most famous commercial streets in its prewar incarnation — the elegant Ginza district with its Western-style shops, cafes, and bright electric lights creating the illusion of perpetual urban festivity. Printed in the final year of World War II, "Recollections of Tokyo" carries the melancholy of remembrance: the Ginza of the prints was already endangered by bombing, and the series served as both documentation and elegy. Kawakami's simplified, storybook style gives the nocturnal Ginza a warmth and intimacy.
More Prints by Sumio Kawakami
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Spring Dusk at the Tōshō Shrine in Ueno
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Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ginza at Night, from the series Recollections of Tokyo was created by Sumio Kawakami (川上澄生) in 1945.
Yes — Ginza at Night, from the series Recollections of Tokyo is part of the Recollections of Tokyo series by Sumio Kawakami.
Ginza at Night, from the series Recollections of Tokyo depicts urban scenes and night scenes, set at Tokyo, Ginza.