Stare long enough at an image in Japan Journeys: Famous Woodblock Prints of Cultural Sights in Japan and you will find that the din of a busy Edo bridge feels familiar; the breezes on the water almost drift off the page. The prints in this collection document bygone Japan, location by location, from verdant shrines to Ryogoku, home of Tokyo's sumo hall. Whether it's Technicolor train scenes or the spare beauty of Mount Fuji, this volume encompasses a large swath of Japanese history and culture, made all the more edifying by art historian Andreas Marks's knowledgeable prose.
One of the book's most appealing facets is its inclusion of different styles, periods, and locations. Well-known masters like Utagawa Hiroshige stand alongside artists from every region and period. Stylistically, the differences are striking. In the "Temples and Shrines" section, Kawase Hasui's color-drenched "Iris Garden at Meiji Shrine" follows Tamagawa Shucho's "View of Shinmeigu Shrine in Shiba," a crowded scene in pale peaches and grays. These sometimes disparate images converse with each other, illuminating the stylistic mores that dominated their respective eras. Marks's commentaries place a given work within its wider historical context, helping unversed readers discern necessary information.
With its glossy pages and bold colors, Japan Journeys does justice to its content, gathering a curated set of woodblock images that give the reader a holistic view of the artistic tradition. It's an essential gift for lovers of Japanese landscapes and city scenes, and an ideal entrée for art lovers who are less familiar with the style. --Linnie Greene, freelance writer