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
Yuhi Waterfall at Shiobara (Shiobara Yuhi no taki), from the series "Souvenirs of Travel, First Series (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Yukadi Falls , Nikko (Nikko Yukadi)
1941
Color woodblock print
Barge on the Canal de Damme, Bruges
ca. 1919
Shinobazu Lake in Tokyo, Shôwa period, dated 1932
Woodblock print
Senjō Cliff, Lake Towada (Senjōmaku, Towadako), from the series Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition (Nihon fūkei higaishi Nihon ten)
1933, January
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Kiso River- at Inuyama — 木曽川
Woodblock print
Taisho Pond, Kamikochi Tableland — 上高地渓谷
Woodblock print
Lake Mashū
1961
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
A pair of ducks by a lotus pond
1879
Color woodblock print; oban
Distant View of Mount Matsuchi from the Sumida River
1884
Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper
Three-quarter length portrait of a bijin beside a river
Not set
Woodblock print
Scene of a Farm by a River
Woodblock print
Cherry Blossoms on a boat on Oi River
Woodblock print
A Stream
1954
Woodblock print
Hakone Lake
Woodblock print
Koshu Lake Kawaguchi — 甲州 河口湖
Woodblock print
Lake Yamanaka — 山中湖
Woodblock print
Lake Yamanaka in Winter
Woodblock print
Walden Pond
1971
Color woodblock print; artist’s proof
Morning Fuji from Lake Kawaguchi
Woodblock print
Rowboats on River
Woodblock print
Snow on Sumida River
Woodblock print
A Canal in Venice
1925
Woodblock print
Ijin Pond in Autumn (Ijin ike shukei), from the series "Scenery of Niigata (Gashu Niigata fukei)"
1929
Color lithograph
Lake Towada (Towada-ko)
1927
Woodblock print
Waterfall
1950s
Color woodblock print
Lake Kugushi , Wakasa
Woodblock print
An Osaka Canal
1941
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Canal in Osaka
1941
Woodblock print
Evening on the River, Chikugogawa - Hita
1927
Woodblock print
Fuji New Grand Hotel, Lake Yamanaka
c. 1937
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Garden by Lake Biwa
1933
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Lake Kawaguchi
1926
Woodblock print
Niagara Falls
1925
Woodblock print
Suiren Marsh at Hakkōdasan
1929
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Sumida River - Afternoon
1926
Woodblock print
The Kamo River
1933
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Yamanaka Lake (Yamanaka-ko)
Shōwa period, dated 1929
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper with signature reading "Hiroshi Yoshida" and printed signature reading "Yoshida" with a seal of the artist
Yamanaka Lake (Yamanaka-ko), Shôwa period, dated 1929
Shôwa period, 1926-1989
Woodblock print
Yodo River
1942
Woodblock print
A Bijin Imagining Shinobazu Pond — 美人不忍池を望む
1895
Woodblock print
Beauty Looking at Shinobazu Pond
description
Woodblock print
Lake Ashinoko
20/100, 1970
Woodblock print
Looking at the carp in a pond
Not set
Woodblock print
Triptych: Sôgô Watashiba no zu, from the series Chôga Kyoshinkai, Meiji period, dated 1884
Woodblock print
Arashiyama, from the series "Eight Scenes of Cherry Blossoms"
1935
Color woodblock print
In Slow Stream
Woodblock print
Lake Wannsee - Germany
Woodblock print
Canal snow
Woodblock print
# 95 Nanuji Falls at Oji
Woodblock print
In The Pond Diptych (27/50)
Woodblock print
Nachi Waterfall (Nachi no taki), from the series Scenes of Famous Places along the Tôkaidô Road (Tôkaidô meisho fûkei), also known as the Processional Tôkaidô (Gyôretsu Tôkaidô), here called Tôkaidô meisho no uchi
Woodblock print
Canal by Moonlight
Woodblock print
A Star Stream — 星の流れ
Woodblock print
Moonlight on the Yodo River (Yodogawa), from the series "Snow, Moon and Flowers (Setsugekka)"
c. 1833
Color woodblock print; oban
Willow tree on the bank of Sarusawa Pond — 猿沢池畔の柳
Woodblock print
The Shores of Kitsurin Shoka Inlet — 吉林松花江岸-きつりんしょうかこう
Woodblock print
Shonobazu Pond, c.1930
Woodblock print
Tosabori River, from
Woodblock print
Forest in the Middle of a Lake
Woodblock print
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.