Edutainment > Ishiwata Koitsu - 1897-1987

Ishiwata Koitsu I

Tsuchiya Koitsu - Biography
Tokumaru
copyright Ishiwata Koitsu

Ishiwata Koitsu is easily confused with Tsuchiya Koitsu. Both artists designed landscape woodblock prints, and both worked for the publisher Watanabe Shozaburo. But while the prints by Tsuchiya Koitsu are well known and all over the Internet, Ishiwata Koitsu is little known, his prints are rare and expensive. This article explains why. Read and learn about the true nature of shin hanga.

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From Textile Design and Painting to Woodblock Prints

Ishiwata Koitsu was born in the Tokyo area and began his professional career as a textile designer and painter in Japanese style ('nihonga'). Around 1930 he gave up his designer job at a department store and began making woodblock prints under the guidance of the great shin hanga artist Kawase Hasui (1883-1957) who had specialized in landscape prints.

Landscape Prints in Shin Hanga Style

Ishiwata Koitsu II

Shin Hanga Artists
Kasai Sankaku
copyright Ishiwata Koitsu

Ishiwata Koitsu made his first landscape prints with the shin hanga publisher and mentor Watanabe Shozaburo. The artist chose village scenes outside of Yokohama as his preferred subjects.

Around 1935 the cooperation of Ishiwata Koitsu with Watanabe publishing studios was terminated for unknown reasons. The artist later worked for the Tokyo publisher Kato Junji for whom he made a series of Japanese toys (1935) and on hot spring resorts (around 1940).

Did Ishiwata Koitsu Miss the Point?

Compared to landscapes prints by Hasui Kawase or Shinsui Ito, those made by Ishiwata Koitsu did not sell well. Although we have no facts, I assume that this was the reason for the end of the artist's cooperation with Watanabe publishing studios.

Furthermore, in the mid 1930s Watanabe's business sales began to recline due to a lack of export orders. Shin hanga prints were nearly exclusively an export business. Shin hanga prints were not made for the Japanese, but mainly for Americans. And Japan's image in the USA and in other parts of the world had turned rather negative due to Japan's aggressive imperialistic policies in Asia.

The True Nature of Shin Hanga

Ishiwata Koitsu III

Kawase Hasui - Biography
Honmon Temple
copyright Ishiwata Koitsu

The commercial nature and success of the shin hanga printmaking movement was entirely based on providing foreigners - mainly Americans - a romantic view of Japan that had ceased to exist a long, long time ago. Although the publisher Watanabe had never been outside of Japan, he had a clear vision of what foreigners wanted to see about Japan, and consequently what they were willing to buy.

Foreigners wanted to see a kind of Disneyland Japan - old temples, unspoiled landscapes, women in lush kimonos, with Japanese umbrellas and high wooden sandals, walking in the snow in the morning with the shamisen (a classical Japanese musical instrument) strapped over their shoulder. Sailboats against a red sunset, etc.

The Makers of Shin Hanga

Kawase Hasui, Tsuchiya Koitsu and several other artists, and not to forget the great carvers and printers working for Watanabe, were real masters in creating woodblock prints with this wonderful "Disneyland Japan". By the way, when I say "wonderful" I really mean it. I personally like these beautiful shin hanga prints as much as I like Disneyland and Abcot Center.

Did Ishiwata Koitsu Miss the Point?

Ishiwata Koitsu IV

Japanese Prints
Evening Glow at Choshi
copyright Ishiwata Koitsu

It is crystal-clear why the landscape prints by Koitsu Ishiwata were not so popular among Western buyers. First of all, they were mostly kept in rather dark, brownish colors. And dark colors - with the exception of a dark blue for night scenes - are not well accepted in the market. Art objects meant to sell in the market should not look sober and depressive. Why should you spend money to become depressed?

And secondly, Ishiwata made his designs too realistic. He did not omit the unromantic aspects. Take a look at his design Evening Glow at Choshi. What you see is a village lane with visible poles with electric power lines. There is no room for electric power lines in a romantic Disneyland Japan!

I can imagine a lot of discussions between the rigid, business-aware Watanabe and the artist Ishiwata Koitsu.

But what about Zojo Temple in the Snow?

Ishiwata Koitsu V

Zojo Temple by Hasui
Tsuchiura on a Rainy Evening
copyright Ishiwata Koitsu

You may now argue that Hasui made a design of the red gate of Zoji Temple demarred by a tramway station at the very entrance of the gate. Exceptions confirm the rule. That was a "faux-pas" by Hasui and a late work from 1953. At that time both men, Hasui and Watanabe, had already reached the benefit of age. And Hasui showed the scene covered under fresh snow. Fresh, thick snow makes even ugly environments look beautiful.

Ishiwata Koitsu Rehabilitated

Ishiwata Koitsu VI

Collecting Ukiyo-e
Amano Shrine, 1950
copyright Ishiwata Koitsu

Today Ishiwata Koitsu is "rehabilitated' among collectors of Japanese prints. Ishiwata's landscapes prints published by Watanabe are rare, and collectors have to pay a lot of money for such an exquisite sheet.

Woodblock Technique Combined with Stencil Printing

To conclude with, I should not forget to mention that Ishiwata created prints in his later life that are the result of the use of the woodblock and the stencil printing technique. Also these prints were mostly published by Kato Junji.

Dieter Wanczura
(July 2009)

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