Welcome to Nihon no hanga

“The wood-block print shows the artist’s true value: his skill as well as his shortcomings, his successes as well as his failures in the work. ”

Yoshida Hiroshi, 1939

Located in a 17th century canal house with Amsterdam School elements, Nihon no hanga is a private museum dedicated to showcase exhibitions created around a collection of 20th century Japanese prints, collected over 30 years by Elise Wessels. During our opening months in May and November, visitors are invited to join guided tours and other events in our stunning museum.

Nihon no hanga collaborates with specialists and museums around the world and our exhibitions have been received favorably by international audiences. The museum strives to further the understanding of modern and contemporary Japanese woodblock prints.

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Ono Tadashige (1909-1990) Rooftops in Amsterdam, 1933

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This keyblock impression may have been for an alte

This keyblock impression may have been for an alternative design for Toraji’s series titled ‘Ten types of female nudes’ (Rajo jisshu 裸女十種), published in 1934. Considering Toraji’s method of creating prints, where he made several sketches, followed by watercolours and subsequently hand-coloured keyblock impressions to decide on a final design, this keyblock printing gives the impression that this design was already well developed before it was cut from the series. While the reason for its removal is unclear, it is interesting to note that all the other prints in the ‘Ten types of female nudes’ series present beauties in indoor settings.

Ishikawa Toraji 石川寅治 (1875-1964)
At the beach (keblock impression for an unfinished print)
Date: c. 1934

#bijinga #bijin #womeninart #beautyatthebeach #shinhanga #新版画 #ishikawatoraji #nihonnohanga #hanga #mokuhanga #japaneseart #japaneseartwork #privatecollection #privatemuseum #ukiyoe #museumfromhome #woodblockprint #japaneseprint #printmaking #reliefprinting #japaneseart #美人画 #日本の版画 #木版画 #keyblock

Ishikawa Toraji 石川寅治 (1875-1964) At the ba

Ishikawa Toraji 石川寅治 (1875-1964)
At the bath (Yokushitsu nite 浴室にて)
Series: Ten types of female nudes (Rajo jisshu 裸女十種)
Date: 1934
Signature: Ishikawa
Artist’s seal: Tora
Publisher: Ryokūsō Gashitsu (Ishikawa Toraji)
Block-cutter: Yamagishi Kazue
Printer: Urushibara Eijirō

#bijinga #bijin #womeninart #bathingbeauty #shinhanga #新版画 #ishikawatoraji #nihonnohanga #hanga #mokuhanga #japaneseart #japaneseartwork #privatecollection #privatemuseum #ukiyoe #museumfromhome #woodblockprint #japaneseprint #printmaking #reliefprinting #japaneseart #美人画 #日本の版画 #木版画

It could be said that Toraji’s series of nudes r

It could be said that Toraji’s series of nudes reinforced the stigma surrounding the moga (modern girl): the notion that they were women of loose morals persisted in the public’s eye and was often written about in sensational terms by contemporary critics. The prints in this series are often a topic of discussion, partially because of the openly erotic overtones. In 1935 the Tokyo police confiscated the blocks of a print from the series. According to the block cutter Yamagishi Kazue, who worked on the series, two woodblocks were destroyed. Though it is not known which design was targeted by police, it is likely to have been this design, 'Relaxing', since no later reprints of this print are known. The other nine designs from the series have been reprinted extensively.

1-2. Ishikawa Toraji 石川寅治 (1875-1964)
Relaxing (Ikoi 憩ひ)
Series: Ten types of female nudes (Rajo jisshu 裸女十種)
Date: 1934
Signature: Ishikawa
Artist’s seal: Tora
Publisher: Ryokūsō Gashitsu (Ishikawa Toraji)
Block-cutter: Yamagishi Kazue
Printer: Urushibara Eijirō

3. Ishikawa Toraji 石川寅治 (1875-1964)
Study for Relaxing
Date: c. 1934
Artist’s seal: Tora

Text based on ‘Moga: contemporary beauties in modern Japanese prints’ by Maureen de Vries in the upcoming publication ‘Tokyo: Art and Photography’, Ashmolean Museum (June 2021)

#bijinga #bijin #womeninart #shinhanga #新版画 #ishikawatoraji #nihonnohanga #hanga #mokuhanga #japaneseart #japaneseartwork #privatecollection #privatemuseum #ukiyoe #museumfromhome #woodblockprint #japaneseprint #printmaking #reliefprinting #japaneseart #美人画 #日本の版画 #木版画

Calico cats are almost always female cats, they ha

Calico cats are almost always female cats, they have been household favourites in Japan for centuries. In Japan this cat breed is called mikeneko, literally: three-haired cat. The Japanese view mikeneko as bringers of good fortune, which explains its ubiquitous image. In Japanese folk art (mingei) in particular, this type of cat plays an important role. It is often considered to be a talisman (engimono) and is usually presented as the maneki neko, which literally translates as ‘inviting cat’, but in English more commonly known as ‘lucky cat’.

Note how Toraji made a preliminary watercolour of a bobtail calico (4), while he incorporated a long-tailed cat in the final design (1). Bobtails are often seen in Japanese art. While there are many stories as to why Japanese cats often have short tails, such as the belief that if the cat’s tail is not cut off in kittenhood, they would transform into obake (monsters). In fact, the Japanese bobtail is the descendant of the imported Asian cat. Studies have shown that the current breed of Japanese bobtail cats carry a recessive gene that causes their short tail.

1-3. Ishikawa Toraji 石川寅治 (1875-1964)
Bored (Tsurezure つれづれ))
Series: Ten types of female nudes (Rajo jisshu 裸女十種)
Date: 1934
Signature: Ishikawa
Artist’s seal: Tora
Publisher: Ryokūsō Gashitsu (Ishikawa Toraji)
Block-cutter: Yamagishi Kazue
Printer: Urushibara Eijirō

4. Ishikawa Toraji 石川寅治 (1875-1964)
Study of a calico cat
Date: c. 1934
Artist’s seal: Tora

Text from ‘Neko. The Cat in Japanese Art’, Maureen de Vries, Japan Museum SieboldHuis (2020), p.13; p.19.

#bijinga #bijin #mikeneko #三毛猫 #calicocat #womeninart #shinhanga #新版画 #ishikawatoraji #nihonnohanga #hanga #mokuhanga #japaneseart #japaneseartwork #privatecollection #privatemuseum #ukiyoe #museumfromhome #woodblockprint #japaneseprint #printmaking #reliefprinting #japaneseart #美人画 #日本の版画 #木版画

The prints in this series mostly show intimate vie

The prints in this series mostly show intimate views of women in their boudoirs, all of which are heavily decorated with western furnishings. From art deco sofas to white tiled bathrooms, lavish curtains and fabrics create a bright and colourful frame for the otherwise flat beauties. The items Toraji chose to surround his models with are an eclectic collection of Japanese and western paraphernalia. For example, in this print on the bright red western vanity a statue of a Dutch Delft blue farm girl can be seen.

Ishikawa Toraji 石川寅治 (1875-1964)
Springtime of life (Seishun 青春)
Series: Ten types of female nudes (Rajo jisshu 裸女十種)
Date: 1934
Signature: Ishikawa
Artist’s seal: Tora
Publisher: Ryokūsō Gashitsu (Ishikawa Toraji)
Block-cutter: Yamagishi Kazue
Printer: Urushibara Eijirō

#bijinga #bijin #womeninart #shinhanga #新版画 #ishikawatoraji #nihonnohanga #hanga #mokuhanga #japaneseart #japaneseartwork #privatecollection #privatemuseum #ukiyoe #museumfromhome #woodblockprint #japaneseprint #printmaking #reliefprinting #japaneseart #美人画 #日本の版画 #木版画 #keyblock #delftblue

Good news! We will open our brand-new exhibition '

Ishikawa Toraji 石川寅治 (1875-1964) Blue parr

Ishikawa Toraji 石川寅治 (1875-1964)
Blue parrot (Buryū inko ブリュウインコ)
Series: Ten types of female nudes (Rajo jisshu 裸女十種)
Date: 1934
Signature: Ishikawa
Artist’s seal: Tora
Publisher: Ryokūsō Gashitsu (Ishikawa Toraji)
Block-cutter: Yamagishi Kazue
Printer: Urushibara Eijirō

#bijinga #bijin #shinhanga #blueparrot #新版画 #ishikawatoraji #nihonnohanga #hanga #mokuhanga #japaneseart #japaneseartwork #privatecollection #privatemuseum #ukiyoe #museumfromhome #woodblockprint #japaneseprint #printmaking #reliefprinting #japaneseart #美人画 #日本の版画 #木版画 #keyblock

With his ten nudes Ishikawa Toraji showed modern g

With his ten nudes Ishikawa Toraji showed modern girls (also known as moga), whose modernity was mirrored in their surroundings. Where the other designs show intimate views of women in their (mostly Western inspired) boudoirs, this print shows a working girl. This moga stands on a stage and works as a nude dancer, a daring occupation in the mid-1930s. Nude dancing was considered a ‘corruption of morals’ in Japan, and this type of ‘ero service’ was prohibited by law in October 1929.

Ishikawa Toraji 石川寅治 (1875-1964)
Dance (Odori 踊り)
Series: Ten types of female nudes (Rajo jisshu 裸女十種)
Date: 1934
Signature: Ishikawa
Artist’s seal: Tora
Publisher: Ryokūsō Gashitsu (Ishikawa Toraji)
Block-cutter: Yamagishi Kazue
Printer: Urushibara Eijirō

Text based on ‘Moga: contemporary beauties in modern Japanese prints’ by Maureen de Vries in the upcoming publication ‘Tokyo: Art and Photography’, Ashmolean Museum (June 2021)

#bijinga #bijin #womeninart #dancing #shinhanga #新版画 #ishikawatoraji #nihonnohanga #hanga #mokuhanga #japaneseart #japaneseartwork #privatecollection #privatemuseum #ukiyoe #museumfromhome #woodblockprint #japaneseprint #printmaking #reliefprinting #japaneseart #美人画 #日本の版画 #木版画 #keyblock

Ishikawa Toraji 石川寅治 (1875-1964) Black cat

Ishikawa Toraji 石川寅治 (1875-1964)
Black cat (Kuroi neko 黒い猫)
Series: Ten types of female nudes (Rajo jisshu 裸女十種)
Date: 1934
Signature: Ishikawa
Artist’s seal: Tora
Publisher: Ryokūsō Gashitsu (Ishikawa Toraji)
Block-cutter: Yamagishi Kazue
Printer: Urushibara Eijirō

#bijinga #bijin #womeninart #blackcat #黒猫 #shinhanga #新版画 #ishikawatoraji #nihonnohanga #hanga #mokuhanga #japaneseart #japaneseartwork #privatecollection #privatemuseum #ukiyoe #museumfromhome #woodblockprint #japaneseprint #printmaking #reliefprinting #japaneseart #美人画 #日本の版画 #木版画 #studysketch

Ishikawa Toraji (1875-1964) worked closely with hi

Ishikawa Toraji (1875-1964) worked closely with his friend and fellow artist Mitsutani Kunishirō (1874-1936). It is said that this design was based on a 1932 painting by Kunishirō titled Scarlet rug (Himōsen), which shows two nudes and a black and-white Pekingese dog lounging on a rectangular rug. As mentioned in a previous post, Ishikawa worked with a few different models for this series, and our collection holds a number of preparatory sketches he made of them.

1-2. Ishikawa Toraji 石川寅治 (1875-1964)
Tinkle of a bell (Suzu no ne 鈴の音)
Series: Ten types of female nudes (Rajo jisshu 裸女十種)
Date: 1934
Signature: Ishikawa
Artist’s seal: Tora
Publisher: Ryokūsō Gashitsu (Ishikawa Toraji)
Block-cutter: Yamagishi Kazue
Printer: Urushibara Eijirō

3. Ishikawa Toraji 石川寅治 (1875-1964)
Tinkle of a bell (keyblock impression)
Series: Ten types of female nudes (Rajo jisshu 裸女十種)
Date: c. 1934

4. Ishikawa Toraji 石川寅治 (1875-1964)
Study for Tinkle of a bell
Date: c. 1934
Artist’s seal: Tora

5. Ishikawa Toraji 石川寅治 (1875-1964)
Seated nude - study for Ten types of female nudes
Date: c. 1934
Artist’s seal: Tora

6. Mitsutani Kunishirō 満谷国四郎 (1874-1936)
Scarlet Rug (Himōsen 緋毛氈)
Date: 1932
Oil on canvas
Collection: Ohara Museum of Art

#bijinga #bijin #womeninart #shinhanga #新版画 #ishikawatoraji #mitsutanikunishiro #pekingese #nihonnohanga #hanga #mokuhanga #japaneseart #japaneseartwork #privatecollection #privatemuseum #ukiyoe #museumfromhome #woodblockprint #japaneseprint #printmaking #reliefprinting #japaneseart #美人画 #日本の版画 #木版画 #大原美術館 #倉敷美観地区 #OharaMuseumOfArt #yōga #japanesepainting

Our latest publication 'Memories of Shōwa: Impres

Happy #internationaldanceday ! In the 1920-30s in

Happy #internationaldanceday ! In the 1920-30s in Japan, the dancehall girl was a profession that was a common sight in art, literature and popular sociology. This print is in our upcoming exhibition and catalogue: 'Memories of Shōwa: Impressions of Working Life by Wada Sanzō'.

Originating in the US during the Prohibition Era, and introduced to Japan in the 1920s, dancehalls flourished from the start. Dancehalls provided a space where men could socialise with women. When men bought a ticket, they could dance with the girls, who would pocket roughly 40 percent of the fee. However, the Home Ministry suppressed dancehalls due to their association with non-Japanese culture, and by 1940 they were all shut down to mobilise the country for total war. As Wada himself writes, c. 1941:

“Nowadays the dancer is becoming a relic of days gone by. The dancers were at the height of their popularity between the fifth and sixth and about the tenth year of the Shōwa era, when the whole world was at peace and the people and did not remember that there was such a word as ʻwar.ʼ
The dance-hall which was the source of numerous conversations when a suspicion of corruption got abroad is to-day a thing of the past. The dancers who were admired as [flamboyant] entertainers and as a separate class of women have entirely disappeared.”

No. 18. The dancer (その十八　ダンサー)
Japanese vocations of the Shōwa era in pictures -Volume 2 (Shōwa shokugyō ezukushi dai nishū
昭和職業繪盡　第二輯)
Signature: Wada Sanzō (signed by hand)
Artistʼs seal: Wada Sanzō
Date: 1939-1941
Publisher: Nishinomiya Shoin (Shinagawa Kiyoomi)
Block-cutters: Hino Keikichi, Komeda Shintarō and Fujikawa Manjirō
Printer: Mitsumoto Kaichi (head printer)

‘Memories of Shōwa: Impressions of Working Life by Wada Sanzō’, Nihon no hanga (2021), cat. 42.

#nihonnohanga #dancehallgirls #workingwomen #newexhibition #comingsoon #memoriesofshowa #wadasanzo #和田三造 #japanesestyle #japaneseartist #showa #昭和 #retrojapan #nostalgicjapan #hanga #mokuhanga #japaneseart #japanart #japaneseartwork #privatecollection #privatemuseum #ukiyoe #woodblockprint #japaneseprint #printmaking #reliefprinting #japaneseart #日本の版画 #木版画

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