After the Meiji era, which ended in 1912 begins the Taisho era it was a time of revival and change in Japanese woodblock prints. During the Meiji period, traditional ukiyo-e had somewhat died out for people were no longer interested in ukiyo-e but became absorbed in Western art. During the Taisho period, modernization in Japan had already developed. There was the development of railroads, factories and more people are moving into the city. For some people, the industrialization creates a sense of nostalgia for the old Japan and one way of preserving the past was through woodblock prints.    

  The new prints or shin-hanga movement began with Watanabe Shosaburo whose print focuses on subject of beautiful women (bijin). Watanabe saw that these new prints whch he combines Japanese ukiyo-e design and traditional theme with Western realism would appeal to foreigners in Japan and abroad. The shin-hanga artist focuses on themes such as kabuki actors, bijin, animals and landscapes especially places that has not been affected by modernization. Some shin-hanga artists who was recruited by Watanabe include Hashiguchi Goyo, Kawase Hasui, Hiroshi Yoshida and many others.    


 

  What makes shin-hanga unique from traditional ukiyo-e is the way in which the artist uses the combination of traditional and Western techniques. For example in Summer Beauty by Hashiguchi Goyo showing a woman who is actually Goyo's model Nakatani Tsuru sitting in front of a mirror in a thin summer kimono. Goyo who was trained in Western art uses contour lines to create volume. The body underneath appears three- dimensional from the folds and shading of the kimono.The diamond pattern on the kimono and the floral design of the tatami along with the empty space are elements of ukiyo-e.  
 

 

  

 

 

The depiction of the face however, is unlike that of traditional ukiyo-e in which simple lines are used for the eyes, nose and mouth. If we look at Late Summer by Tatsumi Shimura, the face is shown more realistically than the traditional prints.

 
   

Shin-hanga artists not only was influenced by Western techniques of realism but also by the Impressionist movement in France. The artists Yoshida Hiroshi and Kawase Hasui were interested in taking the same scene and using different colors to show the different time of day. Although this idea was used in ukiyo-e by Hokusai, Yoshida actually borrowed the idea from Monet.The two images of the Taj Mahal Day and Taj Mahal Night by Yoshida reminds us of Monet's Haystack series.

 

  
 
   



 
 

 

Another important influence was the use of blue and gray which were often seen in Whistler's paintings of night scenes. In Hazy Moon at Matsue in Isumo the artist Kawase Hasui shows a night scene in colors of black, gray and blue. The print is highlighted by the yellow light and the partially covered moon. The combination of the blue night sky and the golden light remind one of Whistler's Nocturne in Blue and Gold.