Comment - Wonderful street scene near Yasaka Hill in Kyoto on New Year's Day. Yasaka is famous for its asaka-jinja shrine and it's Yasaka-no-to-ji pagoda. Buildings are adorned with Japanese flags and traditional bamboo and pine decorations for the holiday. A beauty walks down the center of the road as children fly  a pair of Yakko kites ("yakko dako", "奴凧"). Flying kites is a favorite activity for the New Year.

Yasaka-no-to pagoda belongs to the Hokan-ji temple in the Gion district of Kyoto. The pagoda spire rises in the distance against a bright blue sky. The Yasaka-no-to is 47m in height. It is the third highest wooden building in Kyoto after To-ji and Kofuku-ji and is believed to have been built in 592 by Shotoku-taishi. The current structure was rebuild in 1440. The woodblock represents a New Year's scene in the "Yasaka neighbourhood" as stated in the title (lower left). This New Years's Day street scene near Yasaka Hill in Kyoto is depicted in a similar scene by the same publisher. For comparison, you might have a glimpse at both woodblocks and a photo of the actual street.

Despite the printed title on the lower left, this woodblock print is sometimes titled "Near Yatsusaka On New Year's Day".


Series - ~


Artist - see Biography


Signature - "koto" ("琴")  (artists seal above the publisher's seal)


Publisher - Uchida (内田), (publishers seal beneath the artist's seal)


Image Size - 26.0 x 39.4 cm   (10 1/4" x 15 1/2")


Condition - single sheet; multi coloured woodblock print; ink and color on paper; vertical oban, tate-e