Hasui Kawase (1883 – 1957) was known as one of the most important, and prolific, Japanese printmakers and painters of the 20th century. During his life, he produced over 600 full-color woodblock prints during his career of over 40 years. Hasui is also considered to be closely associated with the Shin-Hanga (新版画, new woodblock print) publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō, who sought to bring new life to the style of art established by the great 19th century Japanese art woodblock prints created by Utagawa Hiroshige and Katsushika Hokusai. He had a desire to travel, visiting many locations throughout Japan. Hasui would make sketches of countryside towns, cities, religious temples and sites, and occasionally portraits.
He was very interested in showing the changing of the seasons, and climatic change, and how this influenced the composition or feeling of his woodblock prints and drawings. Many of his most famous and evocative block prints such as, Zojo-ji Temple in Shiba and Honmon Temple in Ikegami, feature images of snow and rain. In 1956, Hasui’s artistic contributions to society were recognized by the Japanese government and he was named a “living national treasure”. Over twenty years later, the first major publication of his works was created.
Hasui Kawase’s works have since been exhibited widely throughout Japan, and internationally, establishing his reputation as one of the best and most talented modern Japanese artists in history. Although Watanabe was the primary publisher of Hasui Kawase’s Woodblock Prints, Kawaguchi, Sakai, Doi and others printed some of his designs as well.