Joycelyn Bouquillard

Presented in a luxurious two-volume slipcased set, this edition pairs timeless art with expert commentary in a format designed for reflection, appreciation, and beauty. The main volume showcases a selection of prints that capture Hanami (the appreciation of the fleeting wonder of spring): blossoming cherry trees, riverside picnics, moonlit gardens, and the quiet rituals of seasonal change. Highlights include Hiroshige’s Plum Garden at Kameido and Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom at Arashiyama, Hokusai’s Viewing Cherry Blossoms by the Sumida River, and Yoshitoshi’s elegant Yayoi from the series Flowers of the Twelve Months. The works unfold in a striking accordion format, allowing readers to experience them as immersive, panoramic compositions. Alongside this visual journey, a separate booklet by Japan scholar Jocelyn Bouquillard provides insightful background on each image. Her commentary illuminates the symbolism, historical context, and enduring cultural meanings of spring in Japanese life and art, every page enriching the reader’s understanding with a deeper sense of connection. Also featuring prints by artists such as Kyosai and Kunisada. Spring in Japan is a tribute to the elegance and emotional resonance of Japanese printmaking.

Roughly twenty-five years after Hokusai released his series of ukiyo-e prints depicting Japan's most recognisable symbol, Hiroshige took on the subject as well-a common practice among the era's printmakers. This volume features reproductions of the horizontal version of Hiroshige's woodblock series, first published in 1852, and which reveal a mature artist working at the height of his powers. In the background of each of the views Mount Fuji is featured under varying vantage points and changing lights, towering over sites of sublime beauty, often animated by a few characters living in harmony with nature. These exquisite fold-out plates are perfect for appreciating Hiroshige's eye for composition, his nontraditional use of line, and the subtle gradations of colour and mood. Viewers can also learn much about daily life and culture in 19th-century Japan through carefully applied detail and symbolism. In his introductory booklet, Jocelyn Bouquillard provides captions for each print, as well as an appreciation of the remarkable and painstaking process of woodblock printing. Packaged in an elegant slipcase, these volumes reflect the beautiful artistry and traditions that are embodied in the prints themselves.