Japanese Woodblock Print, 1930, published by Watanabe, this later Showa edition from original blocks, with bears the 7mm publisher's seal

SIZE IN INCHES: oban, 15.5 x 10.25 inches

NIHONBASHI BRIDGE IN SNOW by Bannai Kokan presents the actual appearance of Nihonbashi in the 1930s, but then hides its true face behind a blizzard. This print was supposed to be the first in a proposed series called "Fifty-three Modern Views of the Tokaido," to be published by Watanabe. Kokan's panorama shows landmarks such as the streetcar crossing and the 1914 Daiei Building (red brick building on the right).

KOKAN BANNAI (1900-1963) was born at Takadamachi, Onuma-gun, Fukusima prefecture, and studied painting under Bannai Seiran. In April, 1927, he held his exhibition of a series of his landscape pictures entitled "Fifty-Three Stages of the Tokaido," at the Itoya Stationary, Ginza, when he made the acquaintance of Watanabe, by whom he was advised to turn his paintings into prints. Watanabe published three of a series of paintings, the "Present Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido", as prints in the 1930s. These are the Nihonbashi bridge in snow, Lake Ashi with Mount Hakone and Nagoya Castle.

Fine, no flaws