Hasui, Kawase (1883 – 1957), “Spring at Hibiya Park”

Notes: First edition prints from the late 1930's and early 1940's are seldom seen due to paper rationing during wartime, and the fact that Watanabe had a dwindling number of foreign customers. As a result, he printed fewer examples contributing to the rarity of this design. Situated adjacent to the Tokyo Imperial palace, Hibiya park opened in 1903 as the country's first western-style park. In Narazaki's opinion, 'There are a number of contrastive elements in this image: the red azaleas on the green lawn, the grand building with a clock tower that looms over the green stand of trees, the shadow of the large tree cast on the pavement and the back of a mother and daughter'. - Hotei Vol. 1