HM003

True Pictures of Famous Places in Tokyo – Ueno Zoo (No. 49/130)

Original Artist:

Yasuji Inoue (also known as Yasuharu, 1864–1889)

Reproduction Artist:

Unknown

Type:

Reproduction – Hand-printed Woodblock Print
Technique: Kōsen-ga (Light and Shadow Pictures)

Period:

Showa Period (20th Century)

Size:

• Full Paper frame Size: 230 × 315 mm

• Image (Window Cut) Size: 90 × 150 mm

• Size print: 18cm W X 11.5cm L

Signature:

No reproduction artist signature

Condition:

Very good – no repairs or restoration

Featured Print: Ueno Zoo (No. 49/130)

This woodblock print portrays Ueno Zoo, Japan’s first zoo, established in 1872 within the modernizing landscape of Ueno Park. As a part of Yasuji Inoue’s True Pictures of Famous Places in Tokyo series, this piece captures the cultural fusion of East and West during the Meiji era. It vividly illustrates visitors, animal enclosures, and imported species through bright colors and Western-style perspective techniques.

Characteristic of Inoue’s Kōsen-ga style, the scene features soft light, a clear atmosphere, and emotional subtlety. It serves as a powerful document of Tokyo's transformation and Westernization during the late 19th century.

About the Series: "True Pictures of Famous Places in Tokyo"

This renowned series contains over 130 woodblock prints that document Meiji-era Tokyo’s evolving cityscape. From Ginza to Ueno, each work acts as both artwork and urban record, reflecting modernization and cultural transition through subtle detail and rich emotional tone.

About the Artist: Yasuji Inoue (1864–1889)

Yasuji Inoue was a Meiji-period ukiyo-e artist who trained under Kiyochika Kobayashi. He was a pioneer of Kōsen-ga, a style that merged traditional Japanese printmaking with Western realism, especially through light and shadow. Though he passed away at just 26, his work continues to be praised for its beauty, historical value, and emotional depth.