Discover Edo Art Through “Edo Painting A to Z”

Step into the Edo period this winter with the exhibition Edo Paintings A to Z, dedicated to a fascinating array of masterpieces from Japan’s golden era. Whether you’re a connoisseur or first-timer, discover the timeless beauty brushed by masters who shaped Japanese aesthetics as know it.

Sense of Wander: ★★★★☆

A close-up view of Beauty in Snow by Toensai Kanshi, an artist who flourished in the late 18th century.

KYOTO, Japan — Kyoto, a city steeped in arts and culture, is like an open-air museum. This winter, its cultural tapestry is further enriched with the special exhibition Edo Paintings A to Z – Jakuchu, Hokusai, Rosetsu and more.

Edo, spanning from 1603 to 1868, was both the name for a place and time — a transformative period characterised by increased urbanisation and economic development. It marked the emergence of early modern Japanese paintings, with Edo paintings encompassing a diverse array of artistic expressions.

From ukiyo-e woodblock prints capturing urban life to traditional ink landscapes and intricate nature-themed illustrations, Edo paintings encapsulate a rich tapestry of artistic ingenuity. For those encountering Edo period painting for the first time, Edo visual culture appears not only rich but culturally complex, playing an intriguing role in shaping our impression of Japan today.

When I first learned about the exhibition, Edo Paintings A to Z – Jakuchu, Hokusai, Rosetsu and more, my curiosity soared. Yet, I hesitated to make the journey to the Fukuda Art Museum, which is located on the outskirts of Kyoto, uncertain whether the experience would be worth the trip.

One day, en route to the renowned Moss Garden Temple, Saiho-ji, I found myself passing through Arashiyama, home to the Fukuda Art Museum. On my journey back to the city centre, a spontaneous decision led me to make an impromptu visit to the exhibition. This unplanned detour, as it turned out, became the highlight of the day — and let me share with you why.

The Fukuda Art Museum felt like a breath of fresh air in the heart of Arashiyama. Despite being just a 10-minute walk from the bustling Main Street and the Togetsukyo Bridge, the museum was nearly empty during my visit.

The exhibition Edo Paintings A to Z is presented across two venues: the Fukuda Art Museum and the Saga Arashiyama Museum of Arts & Culture, conveniently located just a 5-minute walk away. The first venue mainly showcases hanging scrolls and folding screens of ink landscapes, literati painting, and decorative Rinpa school paintings, whereas the second features “pictures of the floating world,” paintings of actors and courtesans, and various woodblock prints. Though the entrance fee isn’t cheap (¥2,300 for an adult combo ticket), when compared with other exhibitions, I must say that the exhibits truly worth the price.

Renowned for his vibrant depictions of animals, Edo-period artist Ito Jakuchu reveals a lesser-known aspect of his artistry in an ink painting titled Amitabha Tathagata in the Cloud.

At the Fukuda Art Museum, the paintings on display are thoughtfully arranged throughout the museum’s second and third floors. The second floor is dedicated to various painters active in Kyoto during the 18th century, and among the impressive array of paintings, one piece caught my attention: a fine ink painting depicting Amitabha, the Buddha of Limitless Light.

In this masterful creation, the divine figure’s garment and hair are portrayed with dark ink shading, and a subtle and delicate touch has been applied to delineate its features, as if casting an illuminating light over the paradise it inhabits. With a benevolent gaze directed towards the viewer, I immediately felt as if I were embraced by the boundless compassion emanating from the Buddha before me. He delicately holds a peony in his right hand, as if whispering that beauty is present in every aspect of the world.

Seated among clouds, the Buddha’s head is circled by a halo outlined in black ink, from which the paint is skillfully pulled outward to form a tinted background, resembling the gentle glow of sun or moonlight in the sky. To my delight, it turns out that this masterpiece was painted by Ito Jakuchu (1761-1800), whose works have gained increasing popularity over the last decade.

Having come across Ito Jakuchu’s more colourful works earlier, such as the designated National Treasure Colourful Realm of Living Beings, I was slightly surprised to discover this ink painting was Jakuchu’s creation. But it makes sense considering the artist’s devout Buddhist beliefs and his known practice of donating paintings to temples as an expression of religious commitment.

A pair of paintings titled Carp, also by Ito Jakuchu, demonstrates the artist’s mastery in controlling ink, employing different shades to breathe volume and life into this freshwater species. Although the background remains unpainted, a closer examination reveals that the carp on the right hanging scroll is swimming underwater, while the one depicted in the left hanging scroll has leaped above the water, creating splashes.

What caught my eye, in particular, is the use of pitch-black ink for the carp’s heads, adding to its distinctive and appealing aesthetic. Further examination of the paintings exposes the use of a technique known as “suji-me-gaki” or crease-drawing, where the scales are edged in white. This technique is typically employed by Jakuchu and his disciples, setting their works apart from those of other artists.

A pair of hanging scrolls depicting carps beautifully exemplify Ito Jakuchu’s mastery in the art of ink painting.

The painting Carp exhibits Maruyama Ozui’s bold approach, overlaying a wash of semi-transparent ink on the carp to suggest a sudden change in direction.

This pair of carp paintings by Ito Jakuchu invites comparison with another hanging scroll featuring the same subject, painted by one of his contemporaries, Maruyama Ozui (1766-1892). Ozui was the son of peasant-born master painter Maruyama Okyo (1733-1795), credited for revolutionising paintings by sketching from life.

In this painting, Ozui employed a bold wash of semi-transparent ink, overlaying it on the carp heading upward, creating the illusion of a sudden change in direction. The fish’s scales are depicted in varying shades, as if effected by the ripples through which it is seen.

What makes the exhibition accessible to public is not solely the works on display, but the inclusion of bilingual — Japanese and English — museum labels. Alongside description of the exhibits, there are additional texts that offer visitors a deeper understanding of Edo art. They delve into the artists' choices of materials, whether woven silk or Japanese paper, shedding light on their creative process. The use of seals, often stamped on the left corner of a painting, and the reasons behind creating paintings on folding screens are also elucidated, offering a comprehensive exploration for those new to the world of Edo period art.

Moving on to the museum’s third floor, visitors are introduced to the art of the Kano school and Rinpa style — two important streams of artistic styles throughout Japanese history.

The Kano school, which dominated Japanese painting from the late 15th century until the beginning of the modern period, was often commissioned by imperial courts and powerful military officials to adorn castles and courts. Heavily influenced by Chinese kanga painting, particularly from China’s Song (960-1279), Yuan (1279–1368), and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties, the techniques of the Kano school were passed down from masters to apprentices.

In contrast, the Rinpa style was developed by painters who did not adhere to the traditional master-disciple relationships. Instead, these artists studied the works of masters they admired, acquiring their modes and techniques.

An intriguing folding screen titled Thirty-Six Immortal Poets, by Ikeda Koson (1803-1868), exemplifies the Rinpa style of painting. As a follower of Hoitsu Sakai, a prominent Rinpa painter, Koson depicted a lively scene featuring a diverse array of individuals — the 36 poets, to be precise. Despite being a double-folded screen, the composition is rich with activity: some figures are seen engaging in conversation, others meditating in zazen. Each individual seems to display vivid expressions — some surprised, some exaggerated.

While exploring the museum, I unexpectedly stumbled upon a small gallery called the Panorama Gallery, exclusively showcasing works by the contemporary artist Shinagawa Ryo (1987-). Having mastered Rinpa and other Edo-period painting techniques, Ryo seamlessly merges contemporary aesthetics with traditional elements, prompting a contemplation of “What is Japanese Paintings?” The exhibition, titled Re:Action, chronicles the artist’s creations spanning from 2010 to 2023.

In Hasegawa Tohaku’s "Folding Screens of Willow and Bridge," a bridge gracefully runs through the folded screen, adorned with opulent gold hues that strikes a bold contrast with black willow trees. This theme, featuring the willow bridge and water wheel, is a distinctive creation of the Hasegawa school.

Inside the Fukuda Art Museum, the Panorama Gallery hosts the solo exhibition by contemporary artist Shinagawa Ryo. Through a fusion of contemporary aesthetics and traditional elements, Shinagawa challenges the conventions that define Japanese painting.

The second venue, Saga Arashiyama Museum, offers a great departure from the artworks showcased in the exhibition’s first venue. Here, the focus shifts to ukiyo-e, commonly referred to as “pictures of the floating world”, which flourished during the Edo period. Artists of this period would create woodblock prints and paintings featuring diverse subjects like female beauty, kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers, as well as travel scenes and landscape.

The exhibits include two types of ukiyo-e: original paintings brushed by the artist and the woodblock prints produced from these paintings. While most of us know Katsushika Hokusai and his work through his woodblock prints, the exhibition surprises visitors with a selection of hand-painted artworks by the master himself, most notably, Three Beautiful Women at Sumida River Bank.

My attention, however, was drawn to Great Tengu, the red-faced goblin with a long nose commonly found in Japanese folklore. Brought to life on a hanging scroll, the mythical creature is seen extending his right hand while soaring against a backdrop of spider web, rendered using the “soto-guma” technique. This technique imparts a weightless appearance to the transparent spider web by skillfully incorporating shading into the background.

Painted in 1839 when Hokusai was 80 years old, the meticulous attention to details in the Great Tengu’s hair, feathers, and clothing is remarkable. It's a testament to the artist’s skill that, even in his old age, he could achieve such high level of precision. It’s no wonder that influential painters like Monet and Van Gogh drew inspiration from the likes of Hokusai.

In addition to paintings by Hokusai, the exhibition features over a dozen artworks portraying courtesans and bijin (beautiful women). Works by renowned artists such as Utagawa Kuninaga (1790-1827), Nagasawa Roshu (1767-1847), Nishikawa Sukenobu (1671-1750), Miyagawa Isso (1689-1780), and Tsukioka Settei (1710-1786), among others, can be found on display.

Painted by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), The Great Tengu exemplifies the master’s meticulous attention to details, even at the age of 80.

In this painting by Okumura Masanobu (1686-1764), a man is depicted experiencing a lively performance featuring a lion dance and musicians.

Active in the late 18th century, Gion Seitoku was a Kyoto-based ukiyo-e painter specializing in portraying women from Gion and Shimabara.

A panorama display of paintings portraying beautiful women, or Bijin-ga, at the Saga Arashiyama Museum, the second venue hosting the exhibition Edo Painting A to Z.

The higlight of the exhibition, in my view, is the world-famous “Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido” series by Utagawa Hiroshige. This woodblock prints collection was created by the artist after his first travel along Tokaido in 1832, a route linking the shogun’s capital, Edo, to the imperial capital, Kyoto.

As one of the five major roads developed during the Edo period by the shogunate, the Tokaido route boasted 53 post stations, each offering essentials — food, good and lodging — for travellers. The “Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido” became Hiroshige’s best-known and top-selling ukiyo-e prints, following Hokusai’s “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji” series.

While I’ve come across Hiroshige’s prints in publication, experiencing the entirety of his original prints in person was unlike anything I‘ve ever had. Browsing through his Tokaido prints, I had an intriguing feeling as if I were accompanying the artist on this remarkable journey. This experience differs significantly from viewing his prints in digital or printed format, where the woodblock texture and original colours can sometimes be lost.

Starting from Nihonbashi, the iconic Bridge of Japan, this journey led me through various weather conditions and landscapes: from snow-covered village and seaside cliffs to river crossings and strolls along vendor-dotted streets, ultimately arriving in Kyoto. This is also where the exhibition comes to an end.

Edo Paintings A to Z – Jakuchu, Hokusai, Rosetsu, and more caters to a diverse audience, offering clear bilingual museum labels that guide newcomers to Edo art while providing enthusiasts with a deeper understanding of the various art genres produced during the Edo period. If you find yourself in Kyoto this winter, don’t miss out on this exhibition!

The famous "Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido" series by Utagawa Hiroshige begins at Nihonbashi, the Bridge of Japan.

In this print by Utagawa Hiroshige, a man is depicted chasing after his bamboo hat, caught in the wind at Yokkaichi, the forty-third station of the Tokaido.

Edo Paintings A to Z – Jakuchu, Hokusai, Rosetsu and more is on display until January 8, 2024. The exhibition spans two venues: the Fukuda Art Museum and the Saga Arashiyama Museum of Arts & Culture in Kyoto.