Artists Artworks Movements

Shōwa Era

昭和時代

1926–1989

About the Shōwa Era

The Shōwa era encompassed Japanese printmaking's greatest upheavals and triumphs. Pre-war, shin-hanga flourished with Hasui, Yoshida, and Koitsu producing iconic landscapes. World War II devastated the art world, but post-war reconstruction brought international recognition—sosaku-hanga artists won major prizes at the São Paulo and Venice Biennales. Artists like Shiro Kasamatsu and Toshi Yoshida bridged traditional and modern sensibilities, while Jun'ichiro Sekino and others pushed printmaking into abstract and conceptual territory.

Movements (4)

Artistic movements active during the Shōwa Era

Meiji/Taishō Prints

明治大正版画

c. 1868–1926

Sōsaku-hanga

創作版画

c. 1905–1980

Shin-hanga

新版画

c. 1915–1960

Contemporary Mokuhanga

現代木版画

c. 1970–present

Artists (200)

Artists active during the Shōwa Era

Charles W. Bartlett, Japanese print artist

Charles W. Bartlett

1860–1940

Ogawa Usen, Japanese print artist

Ogawa Usen

小川芋銭

1868–1938

Bertha Lum, Japanese print artist

Bertha Lum

1869–1954

Yamamoto Shoun, Japanese print artist

Yamamoto Shoun

山本昇雲

1870–1965

Tsuchiya Koitsu, Japanese print artist

Tsuchiya Koitsu

土屋光逸

1870–1949

Koho Shoda, Japanese print artist

Koho Shoda

庄田耕峰

1871–1946

Takahashi Shotei, Japanese print artist

Takahashi Shotei

高橋松亭

1871–1945

Yoshimune Arai, Japanese print artist

Yoshimune Arai

荒井芳宗

1873–1945

Kamoshita Chōko, Japanese print artist

Kamoshita Chōko

鴨下晁湖

1874–1950

Hiromitsu Nakazawa, Japanese print artist

Hiromitsu Nakazawa

中沢弘光

1874–1964

Ishikawa Toraji, Japanese print artist

Ishikawa Toraji

石川寅治

1875–1964

Uemura Shoen, Japanese print artist

Uemura Shoen

上村松園

1875–1949

Hiroshi Yoshida, Japanese print artist

Hiroshi Yoshida

吉田博

1876–1950

Hisui Sugiura, Japanese print artist

Hisui Sugiura

杉浦非水

1876–1965

Igawa Sengai, Japanese print artist

Igawa Sengai

井川洗崖

1876–1961

Kosaka Gajin, Japanese print artist

Kosaka Gajin

上坂雅人

1877–1953

Ohara Koson, Japanese print artist

Ohara Koson

小原古邨

1877–1945

Kaburaki Kiyokata, Japanese print artist

Kaburaki Kiyokata

鏑木清方

1878–1972

Akamatsu Rinsaku, Japanese print artist

Akamatsu Rinsaku

赤松麟作

1878–1953

Hirano Hakuhō, Japanese print artist

Hirano Hakuhō

平野白峰

1879–1957

Kitano Tsunetomi, Japanese print artist

Kitano Tsunetomi

北野恒富

1880–1947

Hasegawa Sadanobu III, Japanese print artist

Hasegawa Sadanobu III

長谷川貞信三世

1881–1963

Gesso Yoshimoto, Japanese print artist

Gesso Yoshimoto

吉本月荘

1881–1936

Hirezaki Eiho, Japanese print artist

Hirezaki Eiho

鰭崎英朋

1881–1968

Kanae Yamamoto, Japanese print artist

Kanae Yamamoto

山本鼎

1882–1946

Oda Kazuma, Japanese print artist

Oda Kazuma

織田一磨

1882–1956

Ishii Hakutei, Japanese print artist

Ishii Hakutei

石井柏亭

1882–1958

Kogan Tobari, Japanese print artist

Kogan Tobari

戸張孤雁

1882–1927

Oda Kazuma, Japanese print artist

Oda Kazuma

織田一磨

1882–1956

Kawase Hasui, Japanese print artist

Kawase Hasui

川瀬巴水

1883–1957

Wada Sanzo, Japanese print artist

Wada Sanzo

和田三造

1883–1967

Takeo Terasaki

寺崎武男

1883–1967

Miki Suizan, Japanese print artist

Miki Suizan

三木翠山

1883–1957

Ito Sozan, Japanese print artist

Ito Sozan

伊藤宗山

1884

Walter J. Phillips, Japanese print artist

Walter J. Phillips

1884–1963

Fritz Capelari, Japanese print artist

Fritz Capelari

フリッツ・カペラリ

1884–1950

Takehisa Yumeji, Japanese print artist

Takehisa Yumeji

竹久夢二

1884–1934

Noël Nouët, Japanese print artist

Noël Nouët

1885–1969

Yamamura Toyonari, Japanese print artist

Yamamura Toyonari

山村豊成

1885–1942

Natori Shunsen, Japanese print artist

Natori Shunsen

名取春仙

1886–1960

Kato Shinmei, Japanese print artist

Kato Shinmei

加藤晋明

1887

Elizabeth Keith, Japanese print artist

Elizabeth Keith

エリザベス・キース

1887–1956

Fujio Yoshida, Japanese print artist

Fujio Yoshida

吉田ふじを

1887–1987

Komura Settai, Japanese print artist

Komura Settai

小村雪岱

1887–1940

Ohno Bakufu, Japanese print artist

Ohno Bakufu

大野麦風

1888–1976

Maekawa Senpan, Japanese print artist

Maekawa Senpan

前川千帆

1888–1960

Yoshijiro Urushibara, Japanese print artist

Yoshijiro Urushibara

漆原木虫

1888–1953

Shodo Kawarazaki, Japanese print artist

Shodo Kawarazaki

河原崎奨堂

1889–1973

Cyrus Leroy Baldridge

1889–1977

Onchi Koshiro, Japanese print artist

Onchi Koshiro

恩地孝四郎

1891–1955

Kiyoshi Hasegawa, Japanese print artist

Kiyoshi Hasegawa

長谷川潔

1891–1980

Insho Domoto, Japanese print artist

Insho Domoto

堂本印象

1891–1975

Nagase Yoshio, Japanese print artist

Nagase Yoshio

永瀬義郎

1891–1978

Fujimori Shizuo, Japanese print artist

Fujimori Shizuo

藤森静雄

1891–1943

Shima Seien, Japanese print artist

Shima Seien

島成園

1892–1970

Ota Masamitsu, Japanese print artist

Ota Masamitsu

太田雅光

1892–1975

Kishio Koizumi, Japanese print artist

Kishio Koizumi

小泉癸巳男

1893–1945

Aoyama Masaharu, Japanese print artist

Aoyama Masaharu

青山正治

1893–1969

Kanpo Yoshikawa, Japanese print artist

Kanpo Yoshikawa

吉川観方

1894–1979

Hide Kawanishi, Japanese print artist

Hide Kawanishi

川西英

1894–1965

Gyoshu Hayami, Japanese print artist

Gyoshu Hayami

速水御舟

1894–1935

Ito Takashi, Japanese print artist

Ito Takashi

伊東孝

1894–1982

Henmi Takashi, Japanese print artist

Henmi Takashi

逸見享

1895–1944

Sumio Kawakami, Japanese print artist

Sumio Kawakami

川上澄生

1895–1972

Lilian May Miller, Japanese print artist

Lilian May Miller

1895–1943

Hiratsuka Un'ichi, Japanese print artist

Hiratsuka Un'ichi

平塚運一

1895–1997

Tsuchiya Rakuzan, Japanese print artist

Tsuchiya Rakuzan

土屋楽山

1896–1976

Paul Jacoulet, Japanese print artist

Paul Jacoulet

ポール・ジャクレー

1896–1960

Gen Yamaguchi, Japanese print artist

Gen Yamaguchi

山口源

1896–1976

Sakuichi Fukazawa, Japanese print artist

Sakuichi Fukazawa

深沢索一

1896–1947

Kanenori Suwa, Japanese print artist

Kanenori Suwa

諏訪兼紀

1897–1932

Ito Shinsui, Japanese print artist

Ito Shinsui

伊東深水

1898–1972

Koji Fukiya, Japanese print artist

Koji Fukiya

蕗谷虹児

1898–1979

Yamakawa Shuho, Japanese print artist

Yamakawa Shuho

山川秀峰

1898–1944

Yoshitoshi Mori, Japanese print artist

Yoshitoshi Mori

森義利

1898–1992

Shiro Kasamatsu, Japanese print artist

Shiro Kasamatsu

笠松紫浪

1898–1991

Okiie Hashimoto, Japanese print artist

Okiie Hashimoto

橋本興家

1899–1993

Asada Benji, Japanese print artist

Asada Benji

浅田弁治

1899–1984

Kobayakawa Kiyoshi, Japanese print artist

Kobayakawa Kiyoshi

小早川清

1899–1948

Torii Kotondo, Japanese print artist

Torii Kotondo

鳥居言人

1900–1976

Takeji Asano, Japanese print artist

Takeji Asano

浅野竹二

1900–1999

Sentaro Iwata, Japanese print artist

Sentaro Iwata

岩田専太郎

1901–1974

Kamei Tobei, Japanese print artist

Kamei Tobei

亀井東平

1901–1977

Umetaro Azechi, Japanese print artist

Umetaro Azechi

畦地梅太郎

1902–1999

Tomoo Inagaki, Japanese print artist

Tomoo Inagaki

稲垣知雄

1902–1980

Inagaki Toshijiro, Japanese print artist

Inagaki Toshijiro

稲垣稔次郎

1902–1963

Tomikichiro Tokuriki, Japanese print artist

Tomikichiro Tokuriki

徳力富吉郎

1902–1999

Shiko Munakata, Japanese print artist

Shiko Munakata

棟方志功

1903–1975

Pieter Irwin Brown, Japanese print artist

Pieter Irwin Brown

1903–1988

Maeda Masao, Japanese print artist

Maeda Masao

前田政雄

1904–1974

Maeda Masao

前田政雄

1904–1974

Okumura Koichi, Japanese print artist

Okumura Koichi

奥村厚一

1904–1974

Waichi Hayashi, Japanese print artist

Waichi Hayashi

林和一

1905–1975

Kihei Sasajima, Japanese print artist

Kihei Sasajima

笹島喜平

1906–1993

Kotozuka Eiichi, Japanese print artist

Kotozuka Eiichi

琴塚英一

1906–1979

Saito Kiyoshi, Japanese print artist

Saito Kiyoshi

斎藤清

1907–1997

Shimura Tatsumi, Japanese print artist

Shimura Tatsumi

志村立美

1907–1980

Gihachiro Okuyama, Japanese print artist

Gihachiro Okuyama

奥山儀八郎

1907–1981

Tsukioka Gyokusei, Japanese print artist

Tsukioka Gyokusei

月岡玉成

1908–1994

Takumi Shinagawa, Japanese print artist

Takumi Shinagawa

品川工

1908–2009

Tadashige Ono, Japanese print artist

Tadashige Ono

小野忠重

1909–1990

Yozo Hamaguchi, Japanese print artist

Yozo Hamaguchi

浜口陽三

1909–2000

Ito Nisaburo, Japanese print artist

Ito Nisaburo

伊藤仁三郎

1910–1988

Nishiyama Hideo, Japanese print artist

Nishiyama Hideo

西山英雄

1911–1989

Fujimaki Yoshio, Japanese print artist

Fujimaki Yoshio

藤牧義夫

1911–1935

Keiko Minami, Japanese print artist

Keiko Minami

南桂子

1911–2004

Toshi Yoshida, Japanese print artist

Toshi Yoshida

吉田遠志

1911–1995

Nakao Yoshitaka, Japanese print artist

Nakao Yoshitaka

中尾義隆

1911–1994

Hiroyuki Tajima, Japanese print artist

Hiroyuki Tajima

田島博之

1911–1984

Mizufune Rokushu, Japanese print artist

Mizufune Rokushu

水船六洲

1912–1980

Sadao Watanabe, Japanese print artist

Sadao Watanabe

渡辺禎雄

1913–1996

Joichi Hoshi, Japanese print artist

Joichi Hoshi

星襄一

1913–1979

Toko Shinoda, Japanese print artist

Toko Shinoda

篠田桃紅

1913–2021

Hideo Hagiwara, Japanese print artist

Hideo Hagiwara

萩原英雄

1913–2007

Jun'ichiro Sekino, Japanese print artist

Jun'ichiro Sekino

関野準一郎

1914–1988

Kaoru Kawano, Japanese print artist

Kaoru Kawano

川野薫

1916–1965

Yoshida Masaji, Japanese print artist

Yoshida Masaji

吉田政次

1917–1971

Takahashi Rikio, Japanese print artist

Takahashi Rikio

高橋力雄

1917–1998

Fumio Kitaoka, Japanese print artist

Fumio Kitaoka

北岡文雄

1918–2007

Kumi Sugai, Japanese print artist

Kumi Sugai

菅井汲

1919–1996

Tetsuro Komai, Japanese print artist

Tetsuro Komai

駒井哲郎

1920–1976

Toru Mabuchi, Japanese print artist

Toru Mabuchi

馬渕徹

1920–1994

Ansei Uchima, Japanese print artist

Ansei Uchima

内間安瑆

1921–2000

Kinoshita Tomio, Japanese print artist

Kinoshita Tomio

木下富雄

1923–2014

Maki Haku, Japanese print artist

Maki Haku

巻白

1924–2000

Chizuko Yoshida, Japanese print artist

Chizuko Yoshida

吉田千鶴子

1924–2017

Fukita Fumiaki, Japanese print artist

Fukita Fumiaki

吹田文明

1926

Hodaka Yoshida

吉田穂高

1926–1995

Ouchi Makoto, Japanese print artist

Ouchi Makoto

大内マコト

1926–1989

Kawada Kan, Japanese print artist

Kawada Kan

川田幹

1927–1999

Amano Kazumi, Japanese print artist

Amano Kazumi

天野和美

1927–2001

Reika Iwami, Japanese print artist

Reika Iwami

岩見禮花

1927–2020

Clifton Karhu, Japanese print artist

Clifton Karhu

1927–2007

Tadashi Nakayama, Japanese print artist

Tadashi Nakayama

中山正

1927–2014

Amano Kunihiro, Japanese print artist

Amano Kunihiro

天野邦弘

1929–2020

Ay-O, Japanese print artist

Ay-O

靉嘔

1931

Saito Kaoru, Japanese print artist

Saito Kaoru

斎藤薫

1931–2021

Kobashi Yasuhide, Japanese print artist

Kobashi Yasuhide

小橋泰秀

1931–2003

Fumio Fujita, Japanese print artist

Fumio Fujita

藤田不美夫

1933–2020

Tanaka Ryohei, Japanese print artist

Tanaka Ryohei

田中良平

1933–2019

Mitsuaki Sora, Japanese print artist

Mitsuaki Sora

空充秋

1934

Kazuyuki Ohtsu, Japanese print artist

Kazuyuki Ohtsu

大津一幸

1935

Kusaka Kenji, Japanese print artist

Kusaka Kenji

日下健二

1936

Kato Teruhide, Japanese print artist

Kato Teruhide

加藤晃秀

1936

Koichi Maeda, Japanese print artist

Koichi Maeda

前田光一

1936

Naoko Matsubara, Japanese print artist

Naoko Matsubara

松原直子

1937

Akira Kurosaki, Japanese print artist

Akira Kurosaki

黒崎彰

1937–2019

Nakabayashi Tadayoshi

中林忠良

1937

Sugiura Kazutoshi, Japanese print artist

Sugiura Kazutoshi

杉浦和俊

1938

Yoshisuke Funasaka, Japanese print artist

Yoshisuke Funasaka

舩坂芳助

1939

Tatsuo Kawashima, Japanese print artist

Tatsuo Kawashima

川島達雄

1940

Tetsuya Noda, Japanese print artist

Tetsuya Noda

野田哲也

1940

Mayumi Oda, Japanese print artist

Mayumi Oda

小田真由美

1941

Tadashige Nishida, Japanese print artist

Tadashige Nishida

西田忠重

1942

Yasu Shibata

柴田泰

1943

David Stones

1945

Katsuyuki Nishijima, Japanese print artist

Katsuyuki Nishijima

西島勝之

1945

Shigeru Takeda

武田茂

1945

Ido Masao, Japanese print artist

Ido Masao

井堂雅夫

1945–2016

Osamu Sugiyama, Japanese print artist

Osamu Sugiyama

杉山修

1946

Tsuruya Kokei, Japanese print artist

Tsuruya Kokei

弦屋光溪

1946

Akira Akiyama

秋山明

1947

Hajime Namiki, Japanese print artist

Hajime Namiki

並木一

1947

Hiroki Morinoue, Japanese print artist

Hiroki Morinoue

森之上博紀

1947

Shoichi Kitamura

北村昭一

1947

Daniel Kelly, Japanese print artist

Daniel Kelly

1947–2024

Taniguchi Shigeru, Japanese print artist

Taniguchi Shigeru

谷口茂

1948

Micah Schwaberow, Japanese print artist

Micah Schwaberow

1948

Ray Morimura

森村玲

1948

Kawachi Seiko, Japanese print artist

Kawachi Seiko

河内清光

1948

Katsunori Hamanishi, Japanese print artist

Katsunori Hamanishi

浜西勝則

1949

Shibata Toshio, Japanese print artist

Shibata Toshio

柴田敏夫

1949

Ryusei Okamoto, Japanese print artist

Ryusei Okamoto

岡本隆生

1949

Kunio Kaneko, Japanese print artist

Kunio Kaneko

金子國義

1949

Noriko Saito

斉藤典子

1950

Motoi Oi

大井基

1950

David Bull

1951

Annamarie Skibsted

1952

Karen Kunc, Japanese print artist

Karen Kunc

1952

Richard Steiner, Japanese print artist

Richard Steiner

1952

April Vollmer, Japanese print artist

April Vollmer

1953

Tuula Moilanen

1953

Hidehiko Goto, Japanese print artist

Hidehiko Goto

後藤秀彦

1953

Maruyama Hiroshi, Japanese print artist

Maruyama Hiroshi

1953

Joshua Rome, Japanese print artist

Joshua Rome

1953

Yuji Hiratsuka, Japanese print artist

Yuji Hiratsuka

平塚雄二

1954

Takuji Hamanaka

浜中拓司

1954

Nana Shiomi, Japanese print artist

Nana Shiomi

塩見奈々

1956

Kenji Takenaka, Japanese print artist

Kenji Takenaka

竹中健司

1957

Sarah Brayer, Japanese print artist

Sarah Brayer

1957

Ayomi Yoshida, Japanese print artist

Ayomi Yoshida

吉田亜世美

1958

Ralph Kiggell

1960

Matt Brown

1960

Tom Kristensen

1962

An Bin, Japanese print artist

An Bin

安斌

1962

Paul Binnie, Japanese print artist

Paul Binnie

1967

Natalia Moroz

1970

Katie Baldwin

1972

Yuasa Katsutoshi, Japanese print artist

Yuasa Katsutoshi

湯浅克俊

1978

Lucy May Schofield

1982

Notable Works

Works created during the Shōwa Era

Kojaku Cavern, Oga Peninsula (Oga hanto Kojaku no iwaya), from the series "Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series (Tabi miyage dai sanshu)" by Kawase Hasui

Kojaku Cavern, Oga Peninsula (Oga hanto Kojaku no iwaya), from the series "Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series (Tabi miyage dai sanshu)"

1926

Color woodblock print; oban

Yasugi Kiyomizu Temple, Izumo Province (Izumo, Yasugi Kiyomizu), from the series "Selection of Views of Japan (Nihon fukei senshu)" by Kawase Hasui

Yasugi Kiyomizu Temple, Izumo Province (Izumo, Yasugi Kiyomizu), from the series "Selection of Views of Japan (Nihon fukei senshu)"

1926

Color woodblock print; oban

Camping at Washibadake by Hiroshi Yoshida

Camping at Washibadake

1926

Color woodblock print

Nigatsudo Temple by Hiroshi Yoshida

Nigatsudo Temple

1926

Color woodblock print

The Kabuki Theater (Kabukiza) by Kawase Hasui

The Kabuki Theater (Kabukiza)

Kabukiza

May 1926

Color woodblock print

Yasugi Kiyomizu Temple, Izumo Province (Izumo, Yasugi Kiyomizu), from the series "Selection of Views of Japan (Nihon fukei senshu)" by Kawase Hasui

Yasugi Kiyomizu Temple, Izumo Province (Izumo, Yasugi Kiyomizu), from the series "Selection of Views of Japan (Nihon fukei senshu)"

Izumo, Yasugi Kiyomizu

1926

Color woodblock print; oban

Afternoon, from the series "Sailboat Boats" by Hiroshi Yoshida

Afternoon, from the series "Sailboat Boats"

1926

Color woodblock print

Eboshidake by Hiroshi Yoshida

Eboshidake

1926

Color woodblock print

Greengrocery at Nezu (Nezu shojiki yaoya) by Hiroshi Yoshida

Greengrocery at Nezu (Nezu shojiki yaoya)

Nezu shojiki yaoya

1926

Color woodblock print; oban

Carp by Ohara Koson

Carp

1926

Color woodblock print; oban

Kumoi Cherry Trees (Kumoi sakura) by Hiroshi Yoshida

Kumoi Cherry Trees (Kumoi sakura)

Kumoi sakura

1926

Color woodblock print

Nakabusa River Rapids by Hiroshi Yoshida

Nakabusa River Rapids

1926

Color woodblock print

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