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Summer in Japan: Beauties Enjoying the Cool
Summer in Japan has always been known for its intense heat.
Yet in ukiyo-e, elegant women are often depicted enjoying the season—cooling off with fans, watching goldfish, or relaxing in the evening breeze.
These scenes beautifully capture the refreshing charm of summer.
Light and Breezy Summer Kimono
Utamaro’s “Woman Powdering her Neck” captures a woman applying powder (oshiroi) on her neck while gazing into a mirror. Beyond its inherent beauty, the work is also technically intricate. At first glance, the woman's skin appears entirely white; however, Utamaro skillfully uses white pigment (gofun) on the areas where the powder is applied, while leaving the skin untouched by powder as the natural color of the washi paper.
Cool Moments of Summer Leisure
A Moment of Relaxation
Kitagawa Utamaro’s “Woman Smoking a Pipe” portrays a relaxed moment—a woman in a blue yukata enjoying a quiet smoke.
The smoke she exhales is rendered using karazuri (embossing), a technique that prints without pigment.
The background is finished with kirabiki (mica printing), a shimmering mica application, making this a striking example of the sophisticated printing techniques used in ukiyo-e.
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Katsushika Hokusai（葛飾北斎）Mount Fuji with Cherry Trees in Bloom
Sale priceFrom ¥65,000
2 colors available
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