87 Takahashi Shōtei (Hiroaki) 1871 – 1945 Night Rain at Asagaya

Publisher: Watanabe Shōzaburō

This evocative woodblock print depicts a tranquil night scene in Asagaya, with fishermen and a woman in a small boat beneath a lantern-lit bridge. The delicate gradations of blue and gray tones, combined with fine details of rain and reflections on the water, convey a quiet, lyrical atmosphere typical of Shotei’s work.

Hiroaki (Shotei) Takahashi was a leading artist of the shin-hanga (“new prints”) movement, which revitalized traditional Japanese woodblock art in the early 20th century. A longtime collaborator of publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō, Shotei created hundreds of designs portraying landscapes, urban views, and poetic moments of daily life. This unsigned impression was likely a later 1930s edition made for the export market.