Enjoying the Evening Cool at Nakasu 1782 - 1783

Torii Kiyonaga created this woodblock print, titled "Enjoying the Evening Cool at Nakasu," which now resides at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This print offers us a glimpse into the leisure and beauty ideals of Edo-period Japan. Nakasu, a district in Edo (present-day Tokyo), was a vibrant hub of entertainment and social life. Here, Kiyonaga depicts three women, likely courtesans, enjoying a moment of relaxation. The print captures a sense of feminine grace and poise through the women’s elegant postures, elaborate hairstyles, and exquisitely patterned kimonos. The presence of musical instruments and fans suggests an atmosphere of refined pleasure and artistic expression. But, perhaps, it also reminds us of the restrictions placed on women in this society. Were they truly free, or were their lives confined to these carefully cultivated roles? Kiyonaga presents them as objects of beauty but also as figures with a quiet agency in their world. We are left to ponder what these images meant to those who made and viewed them.