Urban Landscapes and Leisure

Urban Landscapes and Leisure: Prints of Modern Tokyo 1910-1940

On 1 September 1923 around lunchtime, a huge earthquake struck Tokyo. It devastated the city: about 100.000 people died and 40.000 went missing. The destruction was followed by a frantic rebuilding of the metropolis taking on the contours of present day Tokyo. New modern buildings were erected, steel bridges replaced the wooden constructions, parks were created throughout the city and initially at least, the city vibrated with a sense of urban modernity. Print artists, especially those from the sosaku hanga tradition made numerous works, documenting this architectural and social renewal. Nihon no hanga is richly endowed with examples of the prints showing ‘New Tokyo’. ‘Urban Landscape and Leisure’ will take you through the major neighborhoods of Tokyo as portrayed by artists such as Onchi Kōshirō, Oda Kazuma, Koizumi Kishio, Hiratsuka Un’ichi, Kawase Hasui and many others.