Rivers & Lakes Prints (761)
Rivers and lakes are a recurring motif in Japanese woodblock printmaking, reflecting Japan's geography and the cultural significance of waterways as transportation routes, sources of livelihood, and subjects of poetic contemplation. From the broad Sumida River winding through Edo to mountain lakes reflecting volcanic peaks, water features anchor some of the tradition's most atmospheric compositions. Hiroshige's depictions of rivers were central to his landscape practice, appearing throughout the "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido" and dedicated series like "Famous Views of the Sixty-odd Provinces." His ability to render water in varied states — rushing rapids, still reflections, rain-dimpled surfaces — demonstrated the woodblock medium's range. The Sumida River alone appears in dozens of ukiyo-e masterworks, its bridges, boats, and seasonal character providing an inexhaustible subject. Shin-hanga artists brought new atmospheric sensitivity to water subjects. Kawase Hasui's lakeside scenes, particularly his views of Lake Kawaguchi with Mount Fuji reflected in still water, became defining images of the movement. Hiroshi Yoshida applied watercolor-like tonal subtlety to his river and lake scenes, while Tsuchiya Koitsu captured the interplay of artificial light and water surfaces in his evening views.
Artists Known for Rivers & Lakes
Stream of stars
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Stream of stars
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
View of Mt Fuji from Lake Yamanaka
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Takagawa River at Dawn
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Lake Mojiri
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Autumn moon over Uji river (Kyoto)
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Listening to the stream of the universe
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
The Takase river
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Rocky pond with koi
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
River view
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Mountain lake
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
River landscape with fisherman
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Lake Kizaki, Shinshu
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Lake Kizaki
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Lake Kizaki, Nagano
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Lake Itako
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Poetry of the Katsura river I
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
River and Mt Fuji
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Mountain lake B (Lake Chuzenji)
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Noon - Lake and Shinzan
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Garden lantern near a pond
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Poem of the Katsura river V
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Isshin pond
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Poetry of the Katsura river
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Mountain & Lake
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Autumnal stream
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Charm of Fuefukigawa river
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Twilight at Lake Kawaguchi
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Lake Kawaguchi
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Island in the middle of a pond
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Bridge and lotus pond
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Bird in a pond
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Frogs in a pond
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
In a rippling brook
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Pond
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Daimyō and his Retinue Crossing a Stream in Plain Near Fuji
1753–1806
color woodblock print
Lake Toya, Hokkaido, from the series "Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition" (Nihon fukei shu higashi Nihon hen, Hokkaido Toyako)
1933
Color woodblock print
Gozanoishi Shrine at Lake Tazawa, from the series "Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series" (Tabi miyage dai sanshu, Tazawako Gozanoishi)
1926
Color woodblock print
Kiyomizu Hall and Shinobazu Pond at Ueno (Ueno Kiyomizudo Shinobazu no ike), from the series "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)"
1856
Color woodblock print; oban
Sekiya Village on the Sumida River (Sumidagawa Sekiya no sato), from the series Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjurokkei)
ca. 1831
Woodblock print
Evening Snow at Sanjūgen Canal (Sanjūgenbori no bosetsu), from the unfinished series Twelve Months of Tokyo (Tōkyō jūnikagetsu)
1920
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Related Subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
Rivers and lakes are a recurring motif in Japanese woodblock printmaking, reflecting Japan's geography and the cultural significance of waterways as transportation routes, sources of livelihood, and subjects of poetic contemplation. From the broad Sumida River winding through Edo to mountain lakes reflecting volcanic peaks, water features anchor some of the tradition's most atmospheric compositions.
Kawase Hasui, Hiroshi Yoshida, and Kobayashi Kiyochika are among the artists most associated with rivers & lakes in our collection. Browse the full list of artists who explored this subject above.
Hanga currently catalogues 761 prints tagged with rivers & lakes, spanning ukiyo-e, shin-hanga, and sōsaku-hanga traditions where applicable.