Visitors enjoy blooming irises in Shōbu Garden, Meiji Shrine. Hasui rarely lets on that a war has ravaged his country in these post-war views. He prefers to focus on the pristine, unchanged, and peaceful aspects of Japan. Meiji Shrine itself was destroyed in the war and not rebuilt until 1958. It is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shōken.
Emperor Meiji was the first emperor of modern Japan. He was born in 1852 and ascended to the throne in 1867 at the peak of the Meiji Restoration, when Japan's feudal era came to an end and the emperor was restored to power. During the Meiji Period, Japan modernized and westernized herself to join the world's major powers by the time Emperor Meiji passed away in 1912.
P.S. Japanese art is amazing. We love it so much that we have decided to print 50 beautiful masterpieces of Japanese Art as postcards (including Hasui Kawase's work). Please check them out in the DailyArt Shop.
P.P.S. Do you know that the prints of Hasui Kawase later served as an inspiration for famous anime movies?