Kankai Pavillion at Wakaura Beach 1950

Hasui Kawase made this print of the Kankai Pavilion at Wakaura Beach using the woodblock printing method. Imagine Kawase carving away at the block, guided by the memory of moonlight shimmering on water. The pavilion, dark and still, sits right at the water’s edge. You can almost feel the cool night air. There’s a stillness here, a quiet that invites contemplation. I wonder what Kawase was thinking about as he worked on this print. Did he feel a connection to the past? I notice how he captured the reflection of the moon on the water, the way the light dances and shimmers. Kawase shared with other printmakers an interest in capturing fleeting moments. Ultimately, this print is part of a larger conversation about seeing and feeling, about capturing the essence of a place and time. It’s a reminder that art is about more than just what we see, it’s about how we experience the world.