By Minori Moriuchi,
Admirers of Hasui Kawase, one of Japan's best-known print artists of the modern era, are banding together to raise awareness of the disappearing waterfront landscapes that he depicted around Lake Kasumigaura as water quality there continues to deteriorate.
Nicknamed "the traveling poet," Kawase was active in the Taisho era (1912-1926) and the early decades of the Showa period (ended 1989) and became famous for his contributions to the "shin-hanga," or new prints, movement.
Tomoyuki Someya, a 66-year-old professor at Ibaraki Christian University, has been leading the charge in promoting water quality improvement in Kasumigaura, Ibaraki Prefecture, located northeast of Tokyo. Someya hopes that by showcasing the artist's prints of the beautiful Ibaraki waterfronts, people will reflect on the pressing water issues facing the region.
Kawase, whose style was heavily influenced by Western art, produced approximately 700 prints of sunsets, waterfronts, and other landscapes. While they were often based on sketches and watercolors he made during his extensive travels around Japan, he also worked with sculptors and engravers to produce his works.
According to Someya, Kawase's prints mostly featured scenes from his hometown of Tokyo, along with Shizuoka Prefecture -- home to the iconic Mt. Fuji -- and Tochigi Prefecture, where he spent a significant portion of his time. But 26 were inspired by Ibaraki Prefecture, with 11 specifically portraying scenes facing Kasumigaura near Itako city.
Kawase's works have won many overseas fans. The late Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Inc., was one of them.
Someya's interest in Kawase grew when four watercolors were discovered at Ibaraki Christian University. In 2015, he founded a society dedicated to studying Kawase and his time, leading a team of around 30 members on a mission to identify some of the locations depicted in the artist's prints that were still unknown.
Based on aerial photos and interviews with local residents, they managed to pinpoint 15 locations Kawase had sketched, focusing on Ibaraki. However, Someya said, they were disheartened to find that the once-striking waterfront scenes were no longer as pristine as portrayed in the prints.
The Kasumigaura prints show birds and small boats floating on crystal clear water. Someya recalls a "heavenly time" swimming all day in the lake and catching numerous fish when he visited relatives in Ibaraki as a child.
But Kasumigaura has suffered from deteriorating water quality since the 1970s, caused by population growth and increased industrial activities in the area. Today, algal blooms plague the lake during summers, leading to damage to the freshwater ecosystem and foul odors that residents must endure. Despite efforts by the prefecture to implement drainage measures, the lake's water quality continues to decline, and Someya knows that it is no longer possible to swim in Kasumigaura in the way he did as a child.
To raise awareness about the region's original landscapes and the importance of conservation, Someya delivered lectures in Itako, calling on people to appreciate the beauty that once existed in Kawase's prints.
The society's efforts have led to an exhibition of Kawase's works, showcasing the city in its brighter days, to be held at the town library and central community center in August.
Looking forward, the society plans to extend its search for locations depicted in Kawase's artwork throughout Japan, including Nasushiobara city in Tochigi, where the artist designed three prints during his debut.
"We hope to convey Hasui's charms to the younger generation, while remaining vigilant about environmental issues in various regions," Someya said.
