Sakurada - Mon Tokyo 1964

This is Kiyoshi Saito’s woodblock print, Sakurada-Mon Tokyo. The gate, Sakurada-mon, stands here as a potent symbol of transition. Gates in art and architecture are charged with meaning. Historically, they represent passage—between worlds, states of mind, or stages of life. The gate itself is stoic and solid, rendered in dark, weighty blocks, offering a stark contrast to the verdant life it frames. This echoes in older cultures; think of Janus, the Roman god of doorways. The tree, vibrant and alive, hints at growth and renewal, a powerful symbol of nature's enduring presence. The way Saito portrays the gate evokes the timeless human experience of thresholds, the moment of change that resonates on a subconscious level. We see this same idea in other contexts – from the gates of monasteries to the arches of Roman triumphs – they all speak to this human impulse to mark space and time. Saito masterfully captures this with a modern sensibility, reminding us of the cyclical nature of symbols, how they resurface, evolve, and find new meaning across eras.