Key value factors: Edition order (first Watanabe/Doi printing vs. posthumous reprints) is crucial. Snow scenes, night views, and bijin-ga typically command premiums. Publisher seals and artist signatures authenticate first editions.
Miyajima, the sacred island in Hiroshima Bay, appears in this woodblock print — one of Japan's most celebrated scenic spots. The island is best known for the great torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine, which appears to float on the water at high tide. Countless Japanese artists have depicted this site, from Hiroshige to Hasui, making it one of the most frequently printed landscapes in the woodblock tradition. Arai's interpretation joins this lineage while reflecting the particular sensibilities of his era, when the [shin-hanga](/glossary/shin-hanga) movement was reviving interest in landscape subjects rendered with traditional techniques but contemporary compositional awareness. The island's combination of Shinto architecture, ancient forests, and tidal waters offered rich material for printmakers working in layered color.
伏見稲荷
Woodblock print
c. 1832/38
Color woodblock print; oban
Woodblock print
Uji Byodoin no ichibu
1921
Color woodblock print; oban
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Miyajima was created by Yoshimune Arai (荒井芳宗).
Miyajima depicts temples & shrines, torii gates, and seascapes, set at Miyajima.
