Skip to content

Cart

Your cart is empty

Modern Japanese Prints - The Sōsaku Hanga Movement

Post-war independence and experimentation in Japanese printmaking

Modern Japanese printmaking underwent a dramatic transformation in the post-war decades with the rise of sōsaku hanga (創作版画) - the “creative print” movement. Centred in the heart of the Shōwa (1926-1989) era, unlike the collaborative model of ukiyo-e (浮世絵) or the publisher-led approach of shin-hanga (新版画), sōsaku hanga put authorship back in the artist’s hands: conceived, carved, and printed by the same maker. Individual expression moved to the centre of practice, and the artist’s studio became the workshop and the press. Pioneering figures such as Onchi Kōshirō (恩地孝四郎), Hiratsuka Un’ichi (平塚運一), and peers who exhibited internationally helped redefine Japanese printmaking in the mid-20th century and set a new standard for artist-made editions. Their studios fostered autonomy, experimentation, mentorship, and resilient post-war networks.

While woodblock prints remained central, artists pushed form, colour, texture, and technique - exploring silkscreen, wood-engraving, mixed processes, embossing, and innovative surface effects alongside traditional water-based printing. Subjects ranged from rural landscapes and post-war city life to abstraction and reimagined folklore, reflecting a period of rapid social change. International exhibitions, print societies, and dialogue with Western modernism expanded audiences and sharpened ideas, introducing modern Japanese prints to viewers worldwide. This collection highlights a historically pivotal era in the evolution of Japanese prints - works that bridge tradition and modernity, and form the foundations of the vitality seen in the emerging era of contemporary Japanese printmaking today.

Sort by

334 products

Filters

Koichi Sakamoto - 春の声 (Voice of Spring) (No.1)Koichi Sakamoto - 春の声 (Voice of Spring) (No.1)
Koichi Sakamoto - 月雪 (Moon & Snow) (No.1)Koichi Sakamoto - 月雪 (Moon & Snow) (No.1)
Koichi Sakamoto - 村の春 (Village in Spring) (No2)Koichi Sakamoto - 村の春 (Village in Spring) (No2)
Koichi Sakamoto - 白い光景 (White Landscape) (No.1)Koichi Sakamoto - 白い光景 (White Landscape) (No.1)
Sold outKoichi Sakamoto - 白い光景 (White Landscape) (No.2)Koichi Sakamoto - 白い光景 (White Landscape) (No.2)
Koichi Sakamoto - 白い里 (White Countryside)Koichi Sakamoto - 白い里 (White Countryside)
Koichi Sakamoto - 真冬日 (Midwinter Day) (No.2)Koichi Sakamoto - 真冬日 (Midwinter Day) (No.2)
Koichi Sakamoto - 走る雲 (Racing Clouds) (No.2)Koichi Sakamoto - 走る雲 (Racing Clouds) (No.2)
Koichi Sakamoto - 遡る鮎 (Ayu Swimming Upstream)Koichi Sakamoto - 遡る鮎 (Ayu Swimming Upstream)
Sold outKoichi Sakamoto - 金陽 (Golden Sunlight) (No.1)Koichi Sakamoto - 金陽 (Golden Sunlight) (No.1)
Koichi Sakamoto - 集落 (Village)Koichi Sakamoto - 集落 (Village)
Koichi Sakamoto - 青い湖 (Blue Lake)Koichi Sakamoto - 青い湖 (Blue Lake)
Kumi Sugai - '93年11月 (Novembre '93)Kumi Sugai - '93年11月 (Novembre '93)
Kumi Sugai - '93年3月 (Mars '93)Kumi Sugai - '93年3月 (Mars '93)
Kumi Sugai - '93年9月 (Septembre '93)Kumi Sugai - '93年9月 (Septembre '93)
Kumi Sugai - S 赤い矢 (S Flèches Rouges)Kumi Sugai - S 赤い矢 (S Flèches Rouges)
Sold outKumi Sugai - S 赤とピンク (S Rouge et Rose)Kumi Sugai - S 赤とピンク (S Rouge et Rose)
Kumi Sugai - S 赤と緑 (S Rouge et Vert)Kumi Sugai - S 赤と緑 (S Rouge et Vert)
Kumi Sugai - S 青い矢 (S Flèches Bleues)Kumi Sugai - S 青い矢 (S Flèches Bleues)
Kumi Sugai - ゲスト IV (Guest IV)Kumi Sugai - ゲスト IV (Guest IV)
Kumi Sugai - トランプ マーク[M] (Trump Mark M)Kumi Sugai - トランプ マーク[M] (Trump Mark M)
Sold outKumi Sugai - ヴァリエーション 2 (Variations 2)Kumi Sugai - ヴァリエーション 2 (Variations 2)
Kumi Sugai - ヴァリエーション 3 (Variations 3)Kumi Sugai - ヴァリエーション 3 (Variations 3)
Kumi Sugai - ヴァリエーション 4 (Variations 4)Kumi Sugai - ヴァリエーション 4 (Variations 4)
Kumi Sugai - 双子座 (Gemeaux)Kumi Sugai - 双子座 (Gemeaux)
Kumi Sugai - 水瓶座 (Verseau)Kumi Sugai - 水瓶座 (Verseau)
Kumi Sugai - 牡牛座 (Taureau)Kumi Sugai - 牡牛座 (Taureau)
Kumi Sugai - 獅子座 (Lion)Kumi Sugai - 獅子座 (Lion)
Kumi Sugai - 蠍座 (Scorpion)Kumi Sugai - 蠍座 (Scorpion)
Kumi Sugai - 魚座 (Poissons)Kumi Sugai - 魚座 (Poissons)
Kunio Kaneko - BirthdayKunio Kaneko - Birthday
Kunio Kaneko - Birthday Sale price£280.00
Kunio Kaneko - Char-Chan's geta 3Kunio Kaneko - Char-Chan's geta 3
Kunio Kaneko - La La La Come DancingKunio Kaneko - La La La Come Dancing
Kunio Kaneko - LocomotionKunio Kaneko - Locomotion
Kunio Kaneko - Locomotion Sale price£200.00
Kunio Kaneko - Oh My MaiKunio Kaneko - Oh My Mai
Kunio Kaneko - Oh My Mai Sale price£220.00
Sold outKunio Kaneko - Sky High For YouKunio Kaneko - Sky High For You
Kunio Kaneko - Summertime 2Kunio Kaneko - Summertime 2
Kunio Kaneko - Summertime 2 Sale price£220.00
Kunio Kaneko - Tabi 23Kunio Kaneko - Tabi 23
Kunio Kaneko - Tabi 23 Sale price£160.00
Sold outKunio Kaneko - Tabi 38Kunio Kaneko - Tabi 38
Kunio Kaneko - Tabi 38 Sale price£80.00
Sold outKunio Kaneko - 寿福富士 ("Jufuku" Fuji)Kunio Kaneko - 寿福富士 ("Jufuku" Fuji)
Masao Ido - いかるがの朝 (Morning in Ikaruga)Masao Ido - いかるがの朝 (Morning in Ikaruga)
Masao Ido - かわら土べい (Kawara-Tiled Wall)Masao Ido - かわら土べい (Kawara-Tiled Wall)
Masao Ido - ふるさとの詩 (Poetry of Hometown)Masao Ido - ふるさとの詩 (Poetry of Hometown)
Masao Ido - 丸亀城 2 (Marugame Castle 2)Masao Ido - 丸亀城 2 (Marugame Castle 2)
Sold outMasao Ido - 冬の角館 (Winter in Kakunodate)Masao Ido - 冬の角館 (Winter in Kakunodate)
Masao Ido - 北山夕霧 (Evening Mist in Kitayama)Masao Ido - 北山夕霧 (Evening Mist in Kitayama)
Sold outMasao Ido - 北山月照 (Kitayama Moonlight)Masao Ido - 北山月照 (Kitayama Moonlight)
Sold outMasao Ido - 古代の里 春日大社 (Ancient Village - Kasuga Taisha Shrine)Masao Ido - 古代の里 春日大社 (Ancient Village - Kasuga Taisha Shrine)
Sold outMasao Ido - 古代の里 長谷寺 (Ancient Village - Hasedera)Masao Ido - 古代の里 長谷寺 (Ancient Village - Hasedera)
Sold outMasao Ido - 古都より白川 (A View of Historic Shirakawa River)Masao Ido - 古都より白川 (A View of Historic Shirakawa River)