Cat on a bridge

A small genre composition centered on a cat crossing or resting on a bridge — a motif that lets Ono pair an architectural subject with an animal observation in a single frame. Cats and bridges both have long lineages in Japanese print history (Hiroshige's Asakusa Ricefields and Kuniyoshi's cat studies are touchstones), and Ono's treatment in mokuhanga reads as a creative-print reworking rather than a citation: the artist designed, cut, and printed the block himself in the [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) manner, foregrounding the carved mark over polished [nishiki-e](/glossary/nishiki-e) finish. Compositions of this type typically use the bridge as a structural device — a horizontal or diagonal axis that organizes the picture plane — with the cat providing a single point of focus and scale. Expect a limited palette, visible woodgrain in flat areas, and the slightly irregular registration that distinguishes hand-pulled creative prints from commercial editions. The image fits Ono's sustained interest in everyday urban life, here distilled into a quiet, observational moment.