Exhibition Highlights: Visions of Kyoto
Visions of Kyoto: Scenes from Japan’s Ancient Capital
Fifty years ago, in 1959, Boston and Kyoto became sister cities. This exhibition marks that
anniversary by celebrating Kyoto itself, the center of Japanese culture for over a thousand
years, and from the city’s founding in 794 until the Meiji emperor moved to Tokyo in 1868, the
imperial capital as well. Even after the twelfth century, when true political power shifted from the
imperial court to the warrior clans of eastern Japan, Kyoto retained enormous cultural prestige.
Only in the seventeenth century did two other cities, Edo (modern Tokyo) and Osaka, become
comparable to Kyoto in cultural importance.
The popular ukiyo-e woodblock prints of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were made
primarily in Edo and depicted the popular culture of that city; but Kyoto also appeared
frequently, in historical and legendary scenes, illustrations of classical literature, idealized
portraits of beautiful women (since the women of Kyoto were reputed to be the loveliest in all
Japan), and travel prints. Views of the noted sights of Kyoto by artists such as Hiroshige
functioned both as souvenirs for those who had visited the city and as guides for would-be
sophisticates who wanted to enhance their knowledge of the source of Japan’s classical culture.
Around the beginning of the twentieth century, ukiyo-e prints were supplanted by new visual
media, including photographs, lithographs, and postcards. Woodblock prints were now made as
a form of fine art, in the context of two artistic movements known as shin hanga (new prints) and
sōsaku hanga (creative prints). Because Kyoto was fortunate enough to escape destruction in
the disasters of the twentieth century—the earthquake of 1923 and the bombings of 1945—
many parts of the city still look today as they did in past centuries. Contemporary artists
continue to be inspired by the scenic beauty and rich history of our sister city Kyoto.
Utagawa Hiroshige I
Japanese, 1797–1858
Kyoto: The Great Bridge at Sanjō, about 1833–34From the series Fifty-three Stations of the
Tōkaidō, also known as The First Tōkaidō or Great Tōkaidō
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Hiroshige, one of the most renowned print artists, had his first major success with a series
depicting post stations along the Tōkaidō Road. A major highway in the Edo period, the road ran
from Edo (present-day Tokyo) to Kyoto, a distance of more than three hundred miles. Here,
travelers enter and leave Kyoto in the orange glow of early morning by way of the Great Bridge
over the Kamo River at Sanjō (Third Avenue), the Tōkaidō Road’s traditional terminus.
William Sturgis Bigelow Collection, 1911 11.41835
Utagawa Hiroshige I
Japanese, 1797–1858
Kyoto: The Great Bridge at Sanjō, about 1840–42
From the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō Road, also known as The Kyōka
Tōkaidō
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Hiroshige returned many times to the theme of the Tōkaidō Road, his first successful series.
Here he has chosen an unusual viewpoint for depicting the Great Sanjō Bridge, Kyoto’s
gateway. The bridge rises spectacularly, with the roofs of the city and the hills of Higashiyama in
the background. The text above the mountains is a kyōka, or “mad verse,” comparing the
deafening noise of the traffic on the bridge to the sound of thunder.
Denman Waldo Ross Collection, 1906 06.829.55
Utagawa Hiroshige I
Japanese, 1797–1858
Kyoto: The Imperial Palace, about 1840–42
From the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō Road, also known as The Kyōka
Tōkaidō
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
While most print series depicting the Tōkaidō Road end with Kyoto’s Great Sanjō Bridge,
Hiroshige finished his version with a view of the Imperial Palace. Only the rooftops and inner
gate of the palace are visible, but a hint of the aristocratic business inside is conveyed by the
courtiers and their attendants who walk outside the compound. The palace was the emperor’s
residence until 1868, when the capital moved to Tokyo.
Gift of Robert Treat Paine, 1950 50.3780
Kawase Hasui
Japanese, 1883–1957
Evening at the Kamo River in Kyoto, 1923
From the series Selected Views of Japan
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
One of the most popular shin hanga (“new print”) artists, Hasui excelled at creating landscapes
and cityscapes that evoke a quiet, tranquil mood. The Kamo River, in the eastern part of Kyoto,
functions mainly as a park today. In the past, it was used for the production of sake and textiles,
due to its pure, clean water. Here a woman hangs dyed fabric out to dry in the soft light of
evening.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Bernat, 1952 52.493
Yoshida Hiroshi
Japanese, 1876–1950
Night in Kyoto, 1933
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
In the early twentieth century, a new type of woodblock prints called shin hanga (“new prints”)
developed. These were made using traditional methods and focused on popular subjects such
as beautiful women and landscapes. The style, however, reflected international trends, as many
of the artists had studied in Europe and America. Yoshida’s prints reveal his training as a
Western-style painter, as his use of shading and color echo watercolor painting.
Gift of Miss Ellen H. Gleason, 1949 49.127
Katsushika Hokusai
Japanese, 1760–1849
The Togetsu Bridge at Arashiyama in Yamashiro Province, about 1834
From the series Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
This print, from a series featuring famous bridges of Japan, depicts the Togetsu Bridge (literally
“Moon Crossing Bridge”) at Arashiyama on the western outskirts of Kyoto, where scenic hills
line the banks of the river. First built in the ninth century, the bridge was given its name by a
thirteenth-century emperor because the long bridge appeared to stretch to the moon. The area
is especially famous for the beauty of its cherry blossoms in spring; in Hokusai’s print, two men
have paused in the middle of the bridge to admire the blossoms.
William Sturgis Bigelow Collection, 1911 11.25220
Utagawa Hiroshige I
Japanese, 1797–1858
Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom at Arashiyama, about 1834From the series Famous Views
of Kyoto
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
To the west of Kyoto, the Arashiyama area has long been a popular spot for viewing cherry
blossoms. In this celebrated design, Hiroshige shows two men rafting down the river. One of
them pauses to stare at the blossoms that weigh down the tree branches. The use of shading
(bokashi), a special printing technique, produced the subtle gradations of color in the river and
blossoms evoking the vividness of nature at its peak.
Denman Waldo Ross Collection, 1911 11.1858
Yoshida Hiroshi
Japanese, 1876–1950
Arashiyama, 1935
From the series Eight Scenes of Cherry Blossoms
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Cherry-blossom viewing has been a popular Japanese spring pastime for centuries. Yoshida’s
modern version places the viewer on the riverbank at Arashiyama, looking through blooming
cherry trees towards the river. In the distance, pleasure seekers on covered boats enjoy the
spring weather. Though cherry-blossom viewing is often a raucous affair, here a sense of calm
pervades the print as the empty boats are moored at the shore, awaiting passengers.
Gift of L. Aaron Lebowich, 1952 52.341
Utagawa Hiroshige I
Japanese, 1797–1858
Shower at Tadasugawara, about 1834
From the series Famous Views of Kyoto
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
During a heavy rainstorm, travelers seek shelter in a riverside restaurant. Protecting themselves
with umbrellas, straw raincoats, and wide-brimmed hats they rush towards the promise of
respite from the storm. Hiroshige was particularly known for his mastery of weather and
atmospheric effects—note the intensity of the storm in this print, conveyed by the combination of
hard lines of pelting rain and the sky’s dark gloominess.
William Sturgis Bigelow Collection, 1911 11.17247
Temples and Shrines
Both of Japan’s major religions are strongly represented in Kyoto: Shinto, the
indigenous religion, whose places of worship are customarily called shrines in English;
and Buddhism, introduced to Japan from Korea in the sixth century, whose places of
worship are called temples. Two well-known symbols of the city are the five-story pagoda
at the Buddhist temple Tō-ji, and the parade floats used in the Gion Festival sponsored
each summer by the important Shinto shrine known as the Yasaka Shrine or Gion Shrine.
The court nobles who persuaded the emperor to build the new capital in 794 did so partly
in order to escape the political influence of the many powerful Buddhist temples in the
old capital of Nara; but over the centuries Kyoto has become the home of major temples
of various Buddhist sects, including Esoteric, Zen, and Pure Land Buddhism. Today the
many sacred places of Kyoto are visited not only by worshippers but also by tourists
who enjoy their spectacular architecture and gardens as well as their serene atmosphere.
Utagawa Hiroshige I
Japanese, 1797–1858
Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, about 1834
From the series Famous Views of Kyoto
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Built in the late fourteenth century as a pleasure palace for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu,
Kinkaku-ji became a Zen temple upon his death in accordance with his wishes. The three-story
pavilion, built over a reflecting pond had gold leaf covering the upper story and a gilded phoenix
perched at the very top. It was a famous sight during the Edo period and appeared in many
guidebooks. Hiroshige’s print shows the original building; however, modern tourists view an
exact replica constructed after the building was burned by an arsonist in the 1950s.
Denman Waldo Ross Collection, 1911 11.2079
Utagawa Hiroshige I
Japanese, 1797–1858
Red Maple Trees at the Tsūtenkyō Bridge, about 1834
From the series Famous Views of Kyoto
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Located at Tōfuku-ji temple in southeastern Kyoto, the Tsutenkyō Bridge crosses a deep ravine
on the temple grounds. Built to make it easier for monks to get to religious services, the bridge
became famous as a scenic spot, especially during the autumn, when the valley below is lined
with red maple leaves. Hiroshige shows two groups of picnickers enjoying a meal, while a single
figure on the bridge gazes down at the maple leaves floating in the water of the stream.
William Sturgis Bigelow Collection, 1911 11.17241
Utagawa Hiroshige II (Shigenobu)
Japanese, 1826–1869
The Gion Festival in Kyoto, 1859
From the series One Hundred Famous Views of the Various Provinces
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Kyoto’s Gion Festival, held in July, is the best-known local festival in all of Japan. The festival
originated with rituals designed to appease the gods following a terrible plague in the ninth
century; it was reorganized in its present form in the late sixteenth century. The main event is a
parade that features gigantic, two-story wooden carts known as yama or hoko (depending on
the type of decoration at the very top). These floats are lavishly decorated with fine textiles,
including imported rugs and tapestries, and musicians ride in the upper story.
William Sturgis Bigelow Collection, 1911 11.16903
Women of Kyoto
From the court ladies of ancient Heian Kyō to the maiko (apprentice geisha) of today, the
women of Kyoto have been celebrated not only for their beauty but for their intelligence and
character as well.
Torii Kiyonaga
Japanese, 1752–1815
Enjoying the Cool of Evening on the Riverbed at Shijō, about 1784
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Kyoto lies in a valley, which makes summers especially hot and humid. For centuries, a favorite
spot for cooling off in the evenings has been the area where the Kamo river crosses Shijō
(Fourth Avenue), the main shopping street. During the Edo period, teahouses and restaurants
set up platforms over the partly dry riverbed to accommodate their guests. Kiyonaga, an Edo
artist known for drawing tall, slim beauties, shows three young women at such a teahouse,
enjoying sake in the cooling air.
Denman Waldo Ross Colelction, 1911 11.2291
Yashima Gakutei
Japanese, 1786?–1868
Court Lady and Tiger, about 1830
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Court ladies of the Heian period (794–1185) wore loose, multi-layered robes, and sported
straight, floor-length hair and a special makeup style with the eyebrows shaved and redrawn
high on the forehead. The ladies-in-waiting of the Heian court included a number of
distinguished poets and authors, so the style came to be associated with intellectual
sophistication, as well as with the most glorious period in Kyoto’s history. This lady pauses in
her reading to pet a friendly tiger, suggesting that the print was probably made for the New Year
of 1830, a Year of the Tiger. There were no living tigers in Japan, so a domestic cat was likely
the feline model.
William Sturgis Bigelow Collection, 1911 11.20478
Dōmoto Insho
Japanese, 1891–1975
Women of Ōhara, 1928
From the portfolio Eight Views of Kyoto
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
The women of Ōhara, a rural farming community just north of Kyoto, were notable for their
distinctive dress and method of carrying goods to market. With their bundles of firewood placed
on their heads, they came to epitomize rustic beauty, in contrast to the glamorous world of
pleasure-quarter courtesans or refined court ladies. Dōmoto Inshō was known primarily for his
paintings; the introduction to the portfolio of prints from which this design comes explains that he
designed the prints at the special request of the publisher.
Gift of Dōmoto Insho, 1936 36.2982
Hashiguchi Goyō
Japanese, 1881–1921
Waitress with a Red Tray (Portrait of Onao, a Maid at the Matsuyoshi Inn, Kyoto), 1920
Woodblock print; ink, color, and mica on paper
Although he made only fourteen designs for prints, Goyō is one of the most famous shin hanga
(“new print”) artists. His collaboration with the publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō was key to
establishing the movement, which brought together Western-style drawing techniques and
traditional Japanese woodblock printing. Goyō’s depictions of attractive women in quiet, private
moments reflect his interest in the long-established tradition of bijin-ga—literally “images of
beautiful women.”
Gift of John T. Spaulding, 1947 38.59
Postcards
Postcards were first introduced in Japan in 1873 and became a popular form of communication
and souvenir in the early twentieth century. While some of the postcards here were made with
traditional woodblock printing, others use modern printing techniques such as collotype and
lithography. Postcards such as these, which depict famous locations also seen in the border of
the map, would have been popular with native and foreign tourists as an inexpensive way to
remember their trip to Kyoto.
Artist Unknown
Japanese
Maiko Looking at Kiyomizu Temple in Autumn
Color lithograph; ink on card stock
Leonard A. Lauder Collection of Japanese Postcards, 2002 2002.18775
Artist Unidentified
Japanese
The Daimonji Fire Festival
Woodblock print; ink and color on Japanese paper adhered to card stock
Leonard A. Lauder Collection of Japanese Postcards, 2002 2002.2648
Tokuriki Tomikichirō
Japanese, 1902–2000
The Reflecting Image of Ginkakuji
Woodblock print; ink and color on Japanese paper adhered to card stock
Leonard A. Lauder Collection of Japanese Postcards, 2002 2002.12918
Artist Unknown
Japanese
The Shijō-bridge, Kyoto
Collotype; ink on card stock
Leonard A. Lauder Collection of Japanese Postcards, 2002 2002.6380
[Postcards, Right Group]
Artist Unknown
Japanese
Torihoko from the Gion Festival, Kyoto
Collotype; ink on card stock
Leonard A. Lauder Collection of Japanese Postcards, 2002 2002.5790
Artist Unknown
Japanese
Arashiyama, Near Kyoto: Commemoration of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition
Woodblock print and collotype; ink on paper, creped
Leonard A. Lauder Collection of Japanese Postcards, 2002 2002.8485
Artist Unknown
Japanese
The Prostitutes at Shimabara, Kyoto
Collotype; ink on card stock
Leonard A. Lauder Collection of Japanese Postcards, 2002 2002.6368
Artist Unknown
Japanese
Sanjūsangendō, Kyoto
Color lithograph, collotype and embossing; ink and metallic pigment on card stock
Leonard A. Lauder Collection of Japanese Postcards, 2002 2002.1637
Albums
Nishikawa Sukenobu
Japanese, 1671–1750
One Hundred Women Classified According to Their Rank, 1723
Woodblock printed book; ink on paper; hand-colored
Sukenobu, a Kyoto-born artist, was fascinated with different classes and types of women and
produced several illustrated books on the subject. This two-volume publication includes a wide
variety of women, from the empress to Buddhist nuns. The woman reading in the center is the
wife of a court noble. As befits her high station, she is attended by a maid and a wet nurse who
occupies the child.
Gift of Mrs. Jared K. Morse in memory of Charles J. Morse, 2000 2000.1263.2
Hasegawa Sadanobu I
Japanese, 1809–1879
The Precincts of the Kitano Tenmangū Shrine [left] and Bonfire in the Shape of the Letter
"Great" on Nyoigatake Mountain [right], about 1855–59
From the series Famous Places in the Capital
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Sadanobu, an Osaka artist, designed views of Kyoto and Osaka in the style of Hiroshige’s views
of Edo. This series of prints, mounted as an album, contains over thirty views of the Kyoto area.
On the left is the Kitano Tenmangū shrine, established in the tenth century to appease the
restless spirit of exiled courtier Sugawara Michizane. Plum trees, a favorite of Michizane’s, dot
the temple grounds. On the right is the famous Daimonji bonfire that takes place every August.
Fires are lit on the mountainside to form the character “great,” which is thought to help guide the
souls of the dead as they return to their world after visiting ours during the Obon festival.
William Sturgis Bigelow Collection 1911 11.36376, 11.36384