Hasui Kawase
Hasui Kawase was one of Japan’s most celebrated and prolific printmakers of the 20th century. A leading figure of the shin-hanga (“new prints”) movement, he combined traditional themes with influences from yōga (Western-style painting).
Best known for his lyrical landscapes, Hasui captured shifting atmospheres, seasons, and light with remarkable sensitivity—breathing new life into the ukiyo-e tradition. Over nearly 40 years, he designed close to one thousand woodblock prints.
Hasui devoted himself almost entirely to landscapes and townscapes, drawing on sketches and watercolors made in Tokyo and during his travels across Japan. Unlike the meisho (“famous places”) prints of earlier ukiyo-e masters such as Hiroshige and Hokusai (1760–1849), Hasui’s works often depict quiet, little-known corners of a rapidly modernizing nation.
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P.P.S. Are you a fan of Japanese anime? See how Hasui Kawase's prints inspired famous Japanese movies!