Hasui, Kawase (1883 – 1957), “Toyama Plain (Pre-Earthquake)”

Kawase Hasui, the eldest son of a merchant family, whose given name was "Bunjiro", tried his hand at running the family business, but turned it over to his younger sister and entered the studio of the artist Kiyokata at age 25. Kiyokata gave Hasui his artist's name in 1910. In 1916 he met the publisher Shozaburo Watanabe. In 1918 Hasui saw and was inspired by Ito Shinsui's "Eight Views of Lake Biwa" which were being shown at a Kyodokai exhibition. Hasui submitted sketches to Watanabe and so began the collaboration that started in 1918 and continued into the 1950s.