Kawase Hasui - Starry Sky at Miyajima (1928)

Immerse yourself in the nocturnal magic of Kawase Hasui's "Starry Sky at Miyajima" (1928), one of the most enchanting compositions from his celebrated Souvenirs of Travel series. This museum-quality reproduction captures the mystical atmosphere of Itsukushima Shrine's iconic floating torii gate under a star-scattered night sky.

This extraordinary print represents Hasui at his most poetically ambitious, tackling the challenging subject of nighttime over water with breathtaking technical mastery. The massive vermillion torii gate stands partially submerged in the Seto Inland Sea, its reflection creating a perfect mirror image in the still waters below. The deep indigo and Prussian blue sky gradates subtly from darker zenith to lighter horizon, punctuated by delicate white stars that seem to shimmer on the print's surface.

The composition demonstrates Hasui's revolutionary approach to depicting water and reflection. Notice how the ripples disturb the torii's mirrored image just enough to suggest gentle tidal movement, while maintaining the overall sense of profound stillness. A small illuminated stone lantern glows warmly in the lower foreground, its golden light providing a focal point of human presence in this otherwise transcendent natural scene.

Created as part of the "Tabi miyage" (Travel Souvenirs) third series published by Watanabe in 1928, this work showcases the sophisticated color printing techniques that made shin-hanga internationally celebrated. The print required multiple blocks to achieve its complex gradations and layered atmospheric effects. Hasui visited Miyajima multiple times to capture different seasonal and temporal moods of this sacred site, but the nocturnal version remains among his most sought-after designs.

The Itsukushima torii, rebuilt in 1875, appears to float between earth and heaven, embodying Shinto concepts of sacred space and natural divinity. Hasui's interpretation emphasizes this liminal quality, creating a scene that feels suspended between dream and reality, past and present.

The print's color palette is masterfully restrained—the deep blues and teals create meditative coolness, while the warm lantern light and vermillion gate provide essential warmth. This balance reflects Japanese aesthetic principles of yūgen (mysterious profundity) and shibui (understated elegance).

This reproduction preserves every subtle gradation and nuance of Hasui's original, from the precisely positioned stars to the complex water reflections. It represents one of the finest examples of shin-hanga's ability to marry traditional technique with modernist sensibility.

Essential for serious collectors of Japanese woodblock prints, lovers of maritime scenes, or anyone drawn to the spiritual beauty of Japan's sacred landscapes. This piece transforms any space into a portal to contemplative tranquility.

Artist: Kawase Hasui (川瀬 巴水) Date: 1928 Series: Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series (旅みやげ第三集) Location: Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima, Hiroshima Publisher: Watanabe Shōzaburō