Benkei Bridge is one of Toshi Yoshida's early Tokyo landscapes that channels the shin-hanga aesthetic he inherited from his father Hiroshi. Jizuri editions with the self-printed seal trade between $600-$1,800, while later studio impressions are available from $300-$900. This architectural subject pairs well with other Yoshida family depictions of historic Japanese bridges.
Benkei Bridge in Tokyo is depicted here with the atmospheric mood that Yoshida brought to his early landscape work, the bridge and its moat setting reflecting the influence of his father Hiroshi's [shin-hanga](/glossary/shin-hanga) approach while beginning to assert Toshi's own compositional identity. The bridge is named for the legendary warrior-monk Benkei, whose heroic loyalty has made his name one of the most enduring in Japanese popular culture. Yoshida's treatment emphasizes the bridge's architectural form reflected in still water, the tags referencing the warrior Benkei adding a cultural dimension to the topographic subject.
Woodblock print
![Mount Fuji on a Moonlit Night, Kawai Bridge (Tsukiyo no Fuji [Kawaibashi]), from the series "Selection of Views of the Tokaido (Tokaido fukei senshu)" by Kawase Hasui](https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/d0960668-1e73-339a-b182-fb995a54bff0/full/843,/0/default.jpg)
1947
Color woodblock print; oban
1926
Color woodblock print; oban
1930
Color woodblock print; oban
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Benkei Bridge was created by Toshi Yoshida (吉田遠志).
Benkei Bridge uses Nishiki-e, Moku-hanga, and Kento, on woodblock print.
Benkei Bridge was published by Yoshida Studio.
Benkei Bridge depicts bridges and warriors.
