Seascapes Prints (735)
Seascape prints capture Japan's extensive coastline, harbors, and maritime culture through the woodblock medium. As an island nation with thousands of miles of coastline, Japan's relationship with the sea has been a natural subject for printmakers from the earliest days of ukiyo-e to contemporary practice. Hokusai's "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" (c. 1831) is perhaps the single most recognized image in all of Japanese art, and its dynamic depiction of ocean power set a standard for seascape composition that artists have responded to for nearly two centuries. Hiroshige's coastal views in the "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" and various province series established a more contemplative approach to maritime subjects, emphasizing harbor activities, fishing villages, and the sea's changing moods across seasons. Shin-hanga artists brought atmospheric refinement to seascape subjects. Hiroshi Yoshida's sailing vessel prints and Kawase Hasui's coastal views combined Western-influenced light observation with traditional Japanese compositional principles. The woodblock technique proves particularly suited to seascapes, as the bokashi (gradient) technique creates convincing atmospheric depth while the grain of the woodblock itself can suggest the texture of water surfaces.
Artists Known for Seascapes
"Chinese black boat-Japanese white boat and the pig's big wound."
Woodblock print
!["[Russian sailors making cannon balls for their battleship's guns]" by Kobayashi Kiyochika](https://data.ukiyo-e.org/loc/images/00948v.jpg)
"[Russian sailors making cannon balls for their battleship's guns]"
Woodblock print
![[Chinese Emperor(?) and Empress(?) seated on raised platform with musicians seated in front of them; the Emperor appears to have lost his nose and part of his right shoulder, the Empress part of her scalp] by Kobayashi Kiyochika](https://data.ukiyo-e.org/loc/images/00980v.jpg)
[Chinese Emperor(?) and Empress(?) seated on raised platform with musicians seated in front of them; the Emperor appears to have lost his nose and part of his right shoulder, the Empress part of her scalp]
Woodblock print
The Japanese torpedo boat delivers a knock-out blow to Russian man-of-war
Woodblock print
![[Humorous pictures showing damaged Chinese battleships receiving first aid and Chinese men running with sails (as from Chinese junks) on their backs and carrying rifles] by Kobayashi Kiyochika](https://data.ukiyo-e.org/loc/images/00972v.jpg)
[Humorous pictures showing damaged Chinese battleships receiving first aid and Chinese men running with sails (as from Chinese junks) on their backs and carrying rifles]
Woodblock print
![[Japanese sailor, with his bare hands, is fighting with two Russian battleships (with arms, legs, and faces), a third battleship runs away] by Kobayashi Kiyochika](https://data.ukiyo-e.org/loc/images/00984v.jpg)
[Japanese sailor, with his bare hands, is fighting with two Russian battleships (with arms, legs, and faces), a third battleship runs away]
Woodblock print
Untitled sailboat
Woodblock print
In the Battle of the Yellow Sea a Sailor onboard Our Japanese Warship Matsushima, on the Verge of Dying, Asked Whether or Not the Enemy Ship Had Been Destroyed (Kôkai no tatakai ni waga Matsushima no suihei shi ni nozonde tekikan no sonpi o tou)
Woodblock print
Our Torpedo Boat Sinks the Enemy Warship Dingyuan (Waga suiraitei tekikan Teien gekichin su)
Woodblock print
Our Torpedo Hitting a Russian Warship at the Great Naval Battle of Port Arthur (Ryojun no daikaisen ni Rokan ni waga suirai meichû suru no zu)
Woodblock print
Sailor Tanaka Ichitarô, from the series Mirror of Army and Navy Heroes (Rikkai gunjin kômyô kagami)
Woodblock print
Sailor Third Class of the Katsuragi Nishikawa Hatsutarô, from the series Mirror of Army and Navy Heroes (Rikkai gunjin kômyô kagami)
Woodblock print
Triumphal Return with Captured Goods (Gaisen shuho mono otomo), and Triumphal Return Bringing Captured Ships (Gaisen shuhosen o tomo ni tsureru), from the series Comical Art Exhibit of the Sino-Japanese War (Nissei sensô shôraku gakai)
Woodblock print
Chinese Black Ship, Japanese White Ship (Shina kurofune Nihon hakusen), and Pig in a Serious Condition (Buta no taibyô), from the series Comical Art Exhibit of the Sino-Japanese War (Nissei sensô shôraku gakai)
Woodblock print
Great Naval Victory On the Sea off Takushan (Daikosan oki kaigun daishô)
Woodblock print
Great Victory of Our Forces at the Battle of the Yellow Sea--First Illustration (Kôkai ni okeru wagagun no daishô, dai ichi zu)
Woodblock print
Great Victory of Our Forces at the Battle of the Yellow Sea--Second Illustration (Kôkai ni okeru wagagun no daishô, dai ni zu)
Woodblock print
Treasure Ship, Goddess of all Animals (8/50)
Woodblock print
Ancient Sea, Nautilus (27/45)
Woodblock print
Treasure Ship
Woodblock print
Our Forces Great Victory in the Battle of the Yellow Sea
Woodblock print
A Torpedo Sinking a Russian Warship at Port Arthur, February 15, 1904
Woodblock print
The Sea in the Morning at Omori — 大森朝乃海
Woodblock print
The battle for control of the Yellow Sea
Woodblock print
Our Navy sinking Chinese forces in the Yellow sea
Woodblock print
The great sea battle at Port Arthur
Woodblock print
HANGESHOU (after the rainy season)
Woodblock print
A Boat Laden with Masonry, Böshü
Woodblock print
Pleasure Boat Ride in Summer (1)
Woodblock print
Four Seasons: Spring (Shiki: Haru)
Woodblock print
FOUR SEASONS OF NIKKO- set
Not set
Woodblock print
April;Flwer Viewing Boat
Woodblock print
June; the Rainy Season
Woodblock print
Boatman song
Woodblock print
Skin Ship (B)
Woodblock print
Une Jeune Fille De Fidji, Oceanie
1935
Woodblock print
Hitachi Shipbuilding and Engineering Co
Woodblock print
Black Sea Bream- Kurodai — クロダイ
Woodblock print
Ship Alongside Dock, Shôwa period, dated 1954
Woodblock print
Children next to a small boat near the waterside
Woodblock print
Author Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall/ Cromwell Trilogy. photographed at her home and on the beach in Buckleigh Salterton, Devon, United Kingdom
"Berkeley ca" California bay area woodcut print fine art printmaking contemporary art made at the kala art institute woodblock of palm trees mountains bushes by contemporary American artist Charles Spitzack
"cafe zoetrope" San Francisco Columbus Tower American Zoetrope film studio woodblock woodcut print printmaking bay area contemporary artist charles spitzack
Puerto Rico 2025 SGCI woodcut print palm trees ocean waves woodblock print charles spitzack wind mokuhanga shina plywood seattle art artist printmaker japanese print arts
2023 spitzack stay flexible woodcut woodblock mokuhanga seattle art artist print printmaking palm tree mountain ocean waves
Naruto Whirlpools (The Wave Coventry)
2021
Site-specific installation
Ugo Harbour (Ugo No Minato) — 雨後の港
Woodblock print
Beach
Woodblock print
Baishinji Beach- Iyo Provence
Woodblock print
Beach at the Kaiganji in Sanuki Province
Woodblock print
Kude Beach in Wakasa
Woodblock print
Matoba Beach at Takehara — 竹原的場
Woodblock print
Mihogaseki Beach in Izumo Province (Izumo Mihogaseki), from the series Souvenirs of Travel III (Tabi miyage dai sanshû)
Woodblock print
Morning on the Mito Beach — Mitohama no Asa
Woodblock print
Morning on the Mito Beach- watercolour — Mitohama no Asa
Woodblock print
Oomori Kaigan - Beach at Omori
Woodblock print
Shichiri Beach in Soshu
Woodblock print
Shichirigahama- Seven Mile Beach
Woodblock print
Shichirigahama(?) (Seven-ri Beach)
Woodblock print
Beach of Akashi, Harima Province
Woodblock print
Related Subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
Seascape prints capture Japan's extensive coastline, harbors, and maritime culture through the woodblock medium. As an island nation with thousands of miles of coastline, Japan's relationship with the sea has been a natural subject for printmakers from the earliest days of ukiyo-e to contemporary practice.
Kawase Hasui, Kobayashi Kiyochika, and Hiroshi Yoshida are among the artists most associated with seascapes in our collection. Browse the full list of artists who explored this subject above.
Hanga currently catalogues 735 prints tagged with seascapes, spanning ukiyo-e, shin-hanga, and sōsaku-hanga traditions where applicable.