Garden Of Heain Jingu Shrine

Heian Jingu, built in 1895 to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of the founding of Heian-kyo, is set within the Shin'en garden designed by Ogawa Jihei VII. Tokuriki, working in Kyoto throughout his career, returned to this site repeatedly. This first variation likely depicts the southern garden in spring, with the weeping cherries (shidare-zakura) that drape over the pond and stone paths. The composition would rely on a high horizon and a foreground of cherry blossom rendered through carefully cut color blocks, with [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) gradation suggesting depth in the water. The saturated palette and crisp register characteristic of [nishiki-e](/glossary/nishiki-e) printing suit the pinks of the cherries against the deep green of the garden's pines. Garden views of Heian Jingu form a recurring motif within Tokuriki's [meisho-e](/glossary/meisho-e) output, where Kyoto's seasonal landmarks anchor a body of work that drew on [shin-hanga](/glossary/shin-hanga) conventions to document the city's twentieth-century appearance.