Biography
Kawase Hasui (1883–1957) was one of the most important Japanese woodblock print artists of the twentieth century and a central figure in the shin-hanga ("new prints") movement that revitalized traditional ukiyo-e printmaking in modern Japan. Over a career spanning nearly four decades, he created more than six hundred woodblock print designs, earning him the epithets "Artist of Snow" and "Hiroshige of the Showa Era" for his masterful depictions of Japanese landscapes in rain, snow, moonlight, and mist.
Born Kawase Bunjiro on May 18, 1883, in Shiba Ward, Tokyo, Hasui grew up in a family that ran a silk braiding and thread wholesale business. His paternal uncle was the noted Meiji-era author and journalist Kanagaki Robun. As a child, Hasui suffered from meningitis, which left him with a quiet and introspective temperament. He showed an early passion for art but was expected to take over the family business. When the business went bankrupt around 1909, Hasui was finally free to pursue his artistic ambitions at the age of twenty-six.
Hasui's artistic training followed an indirect path. He initially studied painting under Aoyanagi Bokusen beginning in 1897, then with Araki Kan'yu from 1902. Around 1908, he approached the renowned nihonga master Kaburagi Kiyokata for instruction, but Kiyokata turned him away, calling him a late starter and advising him to study Western-style painting first. Hasui spent two years studying oil painting and watercolor under Okada Saburosuke before Kiyokata accepted him as a pupil around 1910. It was Kiyokata who bestowed upon him the art name "Hasui," meaning "spring water." Under Kiyokata's tutelage, Hasui studied ukiyo-e techniques and nihonga painting, and worked as an illustrator for magazines, books, and advertisements.
Hasui's career as a woodblock print designer began in August 1918, when he was inspired by an exhibition of Ito Shinsui's Eight Views of Lake Biwa. He approached Shinsui's publisher, Watanabe Shozaburo, who commissioned three experimental prints based on sketches Hasui had made at Shiobara. The success of these first designs launched a prolific partnership that would last for the rest of Hasui's life. In 1919, he produced the Twelve Scenes of Tokyo, Eight Views of the Southeast, and began the sixteen-print Souvenirs of Travel, First Series. By 1923, he had already created over one hundred landscape designs.
The Great Kanto Earthquake of September 1, 1923, proved catastrophic for Hasui. He lost his home and one hundred eighty-eight accumulated sketchbooks. Watanabe's entire workshop was also destroyed, including all woodblocks, the complete print inventory, and unsold prints from the unfinished Collection of Scenes of Japan series. Pre-earthquake prints by Hasui are consequently among the rarest and most sought-after shin-hanga. Despite this devastating loss, Watanabe financed a one-hundred-and-two-day sketching trip for Hasui through the Hokuriku, San'in, and San'yo regions later that year, the longest journey of his career. The sketches from this trip formed the basis for the twenty-nine prints of the Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series, published between 1924 and 1929.
During the late 1920s and 1930s, Hasui entered his most productive period. He created the Twenty Views of Tokyo between 1925 and 1930, which includes such iconic images as Zojoji Temple in Shiba, as well as the Selection of Views of Japan and the Collection of Scenic Views of Japan in both Eastern Japan and Kansai editions. While Watanabe remained his primary publisher throughout, Hasui also worked with several other publishers during this period, including Kawaguchi, Doi Teikichi, Iida, and Shiota Takezo. In 1939, he was invited by the Government Railways of Korea to visit the Korean Peninsula, resulting in the Eight Views of Korea series published by Watanabe.
The Second World War severely disrupted Hasui's career. The Japanese government controlled art production, and his peaceful landscape subjects were considered unsuitable for the wartime nationalist atmosphere. His Tokyo home was destroyed a second time by Allied firebombing in 1945, and he spent much of the war years in Shiobara, north of Tokyo. Despite these hardships, the few prints he produced during this era depicted remarkably peaceful scenes of traditional Japan.
Hasui's style is defined by his extraordinary ability to capture atmosphere and mood in landscape scenes. Working within the shin-hanga collaborative system, he designed the prints while professional carvers and printers at the Watanabe workshop executed the woodblocks and printing under his supervision. His subjects were almost exclusively landscapes—temples, shrines, coastlines, village streets, and famous scenic views throughout Japan. Of his more than six hundred designs, over four hundred were landscapes. Hasui traveled extensively throughout Japan, sketching on location with detailed color notations that he later refined into finished designs at his studio. Human figures in his compositions are typically absent or minimal, allowing the natural environment to dominate. His palette featured rich, dense colors and solid forms, blending the traditional Japanese aesthetic of the ukiyo-e landscape tradition with the Western realism he had learned from Okada Saburosuke.
After the war, the Japanese government used Hasui's work to represent a gentler side of Japan in tourist publications. In 1953, the Committee for Preservation of Intangible Cultural Treasures commissioned him to create Snow at Zojoji Temple, with the entire printmaking process documented by woodblock historian Narazaki Muneshige. The resulting print was designated an Intangible Cultural Asset. In 1956, Hasui was designated a Living National Treasure by the Japanese government, becoming the first woodblock print artist to receive this distinction.
Hasui completed his final design, Hall of the Golden Hue, Hiraizumi, while hospitalized with cancer in 1957. He did not live to see the finished print. He died on November 7, 1957, at the age of seventy-four. The first edition of his last print was distributed by his widow at a memorial service held one hundred days after his death. Today, his works are held in major museum collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the British Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. His prints continue to be among the most recognized and collected examples of Japanese woodblock printmaking.
Key Facts
- Active Period
- 1883–1957
- Nationality
- 🇯🇵Japan
- Movement
- Shin-hanga
- Works Indexed
- 498
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kawase Hasui known for?
Kawase Hasui (1883–1957) was one of the most important Japanese woodblock print artists of the twentieth century and a central figure in the shin-hanga ("new prints") movement that revitalized traditional ukiyo-e printmaking in modern Japan. Over a career spanning nearly four decades, he created more than six hundred woodblock print designs, earning him the epithets "Artist of Snow" and "Hiroshige of the Showa Era" for his masterful depictions of Japanese landscapes in rain, snow, moonlight, and mist.
When was Kawase Hasui active?
Kawase Hasui was active from 1883 to 1957. They were associated with the Shin-hanga movement.
What artistic movements influenced Kawase Hasui?
Kawase Hasui's work was shaped by the Shin-hanga tradition in Japanese woodblock printmaking. Shin-hanga: The "new prints" movement (c.
What subjects did Kawase Hasui depict?
Kawase Hasui's prints frequently feature landscapes, temples & shrines, rivers & lakes, night scenes, urban scenes, snow scenes.
Where can I see Kawase Hasui's original prints?
Original prints by Kawase Hasui can be found in collections including Art Institute of Chicago.
How much do Kawase Hasui prints cost?
Kawase Hasui is one of the most popular and widely collected shin-hanga artists, and his market spans a vast price range. Common posthumous editions can be found for as little as $300, while his rarest pre-earthquake prints in fine condition have sold for over $30,000. The edition hierarchy is the single most important pricing factor. Pre-earthquake editions (printed before September 1923, when the Great Kanto Earthquake destroyed Watanabe's blocks and stock): $5,000–$30,000+ for major subjects. Post-earthquake recut editions (from re-carved blocks, 1923–1957): $1,500–$8,000. Posthumous editions (printed after Hasui's death in 1957): $300–$1,500. The Watanabe publisher seal is the key identifier — look for the small circular 6mm seal on pre-earthquake prints. Later editions carry progressively larger rectangular seals, and the most recent posthumous editions often show visible woodblock wear with softer lines and flatter colors. Hasui's most iconic subjects command the highest prices regardless of edition: "Snow at Zojoji Temple," "Rain at Maekawa," "Shiba Zojoji Temple," and prints from his "Twenty Views of Tokyo" and "Souvenirs of Travel" series. Night scenes and snow scenes are especially popular with collectors. For new collectors, later Watanabe lifetime editions ($1,500–$4,000) offer excellent quality at moderate prices. Pre-earthquake prints are increasingly scarce on the market and represent the strongest long-term investment. Condition, color vibrancy, and margin quality are the primary factors beyond edition type.
External Resources
Series by Kawase Hasui
Twelve Scenes of Tokyo
1919–1920 · 12 prints
Souvenirs of Travel, First Series
1919–1920
Twelve Months of Tokyo
1920–1921 · 12 prints
Souvenirs of Travel, Second Series
1921–1921
Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series
1924–1924
Twenty Views of Tokyo
1925–1930 · 20 prints
Selection of Views of Japan
Eight Views of Korea
8 prints
Collection of Scenic Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition
Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition
Korean Views Supplement
Woodblock Prints by Kawase Hasui (498)
Spring Rain at the Gokoku Temple (Harusame (Gokokuji))
Harusame (Gokokuji
April 1932
Color woodblock print
Kencho Temple, Kamakura (Kamakura Kenchoji)
1933
Color woodblock print; oban
Chion Temple, Kyoto, from the series "Collection of Scenic Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition" (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen, Kyoto Chionin)
1933
Color woodblock print
Fuji River
February 1933
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Winter in Kamigamo, Kyoto (Kyoto Kamigamo no fuyu), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
1933
Color woodblock print; oban
Chion Temple, Kyoto, from the series "Collection of Scenic Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition" (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen, Kyoto Chionin)
August 1933
Color 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
Mountain Temple at Sendai (Sendai yamanodera), from the series "Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition (Nihon fukei shu higashi Nihon hen)"
1933
Color woodblock print; oban
Futago Islands, Matsushima (Matsushima Futagojima), from the series “Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition (Nihon fukei shu higashi Nihon hen)"
1933
Color woodblock print
Futago Islands, Matsushima (Matsushima Futagojima), from the series “Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition (Nihon fukei shu higashi Nihon hen)"
Matsushima Futagojima
December 1933
Color woodblock print
Futago Islands, Matsushima (Matsushima Futagojima), from the series “Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition (Nihon fukei shu higashi Nihon hen)"
December 1933
Color woodblock print
Chion Temple, Kyoto, from the series "Collection of Scenic Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition" (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen, Kyoto Chionin)
August 1933
Color woodblock print
Phoenix Hall, Byodo Temple, Udi, from the series "Collection of Scenic Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition" (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen, Uji Byodoin Hoodo)
September 1933
Color woodblock print
Shogetsu Temple, Ito, Izu (Izu Ito Shogetsuin)
September 1933
Color woodblock print
Kasuga Shrine, Nara, from the series "Collection of Scenic Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition" (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen, Nara Kasuga taisha)
April 1933
Color woodblock print
Aoba Castle, Sendai (Sendai Aobajō), from the series Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition (Nihon fūkei shu higashi Nihon hen)
1933
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
Evening Moon at Nakanoshima, Sapporo (Sapporo Nakanoshima no yuzuki), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition (Nihon fukei shu higashi Nihon hen)"
March 1933
Color woodblock print; oban
Snow at Nezu Gongen Shrine (Nezu Gongen no yuki)
1933
Color woodblock print; oban
Morning in Dotonbori, Osaka (Osaka Dotonbori no asa), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
1933
Color woodblock print; oban
Zaimoku Isalnd, Matsushima, from the series "Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition" (Nihon fukei shu higashi Nihon hen, Matsushima Zaimokuto)
May 1933
Color woodblock print
Pier at Otaru (Otaru no hatoba), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition (Nihon fukei shu higashi Nihon hen)"
1933
Color woodblock print; oban
Mount Kamaga, Hida (Kamagadake Hida)
December 1933
Color woodblock print; oban
Snow at the Silver Pavilion (Ginkakuji no yuki)
June 1933
Color woodblock print
Autumn at Oirase
June 1933
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Kanita, Aomori Prefecture, from the series "Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition" (Nihon fukei shu higashi Nihon hen, Aomori ken Kanita)
March 1933
Color woodblock print
Shinkubo, Hachinohe, from the series “Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Easter Japan Edition” (Nihon fukei shu higashi Nihon hen, Hachinohe Shinkubo)
June 1933
Color woodblock print
Hachinohe-Same, from the series "Collection of Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition (Nihon fukei shu higashi Nihon hen)"
1933
Color woodblock print; oban
Shuzenji in Rain (Shuzenji no ame)
1933
Color woodblock print; oban
Setakamui Rock, Shiribeshi, from the series "Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition" (Nihon fukei shu higashi Nihon hen, Shiribeshi Setakamuiiwa)
May 1933
Color woodblock print
Snow at Kiba (Kiba no yuki)
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
Kyonghoe Hall, Kyongsong (Keijo Keikaro), from the series "Eight Views of Korea (Chosen hakkei)"
November 1939
Color woodblock print; oban
Yakumo Bridge at the Nagata Shrine, Kobe, from the series "Collection of Scenic Views of Japan II, Kainsai Edition" (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen, Kobe Nagata jinja Yakumobashi)
October 1934
Color woodblock print
The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
Nigatsu Hall in Nara (Nara Nigatsudo), from the series “Collection of Scenic Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
Onuma Park, Hokkaido, from the series "Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition" (Nihon fukei shu higashi Nihon hen, Hokkaido Onuma koen)
March 1934
Color woodblock print
Seto, Bishu, from the series "Selection of Views of the Tokaido" (Tokaido fukei senshu, Bishu Seto)
March 1934
Color woodblock print
Spring in Arashiyama
April 1934
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
A Nocturnal Fuji, Lake Ashino (Ashino no yu Fuji)
Ashino no yu Fuji
1935
Color woodblock print
Hall of the Golden Hue, Chuson Temple, Hiraizumi, from the series “Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition” (Nihon fukei shu higashi Nihon hen, Hiraizumi Chusonji Konjikido)
1935
Color woodblock print
Hall of the Golden Hue, Chuson Temple, Hiraizumi, from the series “Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition” (Nihon fukei shu higashi Nihon hen, Hiraizumi Chusonji Konjikido)
October, 1935
Color woodblock print
Hall of the Golden Hue, Chuson Temple, Hiraizumi, from the series “Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition” (Nihon fukei shu higashi Nihon hen, Hiraizumi Chusonji Konjikido)
October, 1935
Color woodblock print
Bell Tower, Mount Koya, from the series "Collection of Scenic Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition" (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen, Koyasan shoro)
February 1935
Color woodblock print
Hori River, Nagoya, from the series "Selection of Views of the Tokaido" (Tokaido fukei senshu, Nagoya Horikawa)
December 1935
Color woodblock print
Tonashi Gate, Matsuyama Castle, from the series "Collection of Scenic Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition" (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen, Matsuyamajo Tonashimon)
February 1935
Color woodblock print
Evening Snow at Ishinomaki (Ishinomaki no bosetsu), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition (Nihon fukei shu higashi Nihon hen)"
1935
Color woodblock print; oban
Distant Clouds over the Sea (Kaijo un'en)
1935
Color woodblock print; oban
Moon over Lakeside (Kohan no tsuki)
December 1935
Color woodblock print
Moon over Akebi Bridge (Akebibashi no tsuki)
1935
Color woodblock print
Evening Rain at a Lakeside Tearoom, from the series "Collection of Views of the Moto-Hakone Minami Mountain Villa (Moto-Hakone Minami sanso fukei shu)"
1935
Color woodblock print; oban
Shinkawabata at Handa, Owari Province (Bishu Handa Shinkawabata), from the series "Selection of Views of the Tokaido (Tokaido fukei senshu)"
1935
Color woodblock print; oban
Lake Haruna (Harunako)
October 1935
Color woodblock print
Heian Shrine, Kyoto (Heian jingu)
1936
Color woodblock print
Morning at Mt. Fuji (Fuji no Asa)
Fuji no Asa
1936
Color woodblock print
Tadotsu, Sanuki Province (Sanshu Tadotsu), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
1936
Color woodblock print; oban
Dusk at Asō, Ibaraki Prefecture
December 1936
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Spring Rain at Benkei Bridge
April 1936
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Yugashima, Ito (Ito Yugashima)
1936
Color woodblock print; oban
Saishō Temple in Hirosaki (Hirosaki, Saishō-in), from the series Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan Edition (Nihon fūkei shū higashi Nihon hen)
1936
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
The Wedded Rocks of Futamigaura (Futamigaura)
1936
Color woodblock print
