From Saturday, December 5, 2026 to Sunday, January 31, 2027, Paramita Museum (パラミタミュージアム) in Komono, Mie Prefecture will hold the exhibition "Ukiyo-e Woodblock Prints in a New Era: THE Shin-hanga – The Challenge of Publisher Shozaburo Watanabe" (浮世絵木版画の新時代 THE 新版画版元・渡邊庄三郎の挑戦).
Visitors can see fine works shaped by the skilled techniques of craftsmen and a new sense of beauty.
The Lasting Appeal of Shin-hanga and the Challenge of Shozaburo Watanabe
Since the Meiji era, the traditional techniques of ukiyo-e woodblock printing had been in decline. The publisher Shozaburo Watanabe (渡邊庄三郎) revived them and, working together with painters of his time, spread "shin-hanga" (新版画), or "new prints," to the world. This exhibition traces the path of that challenge.
Watanabe brought in up-and-coming painters as designers. While following the collaborative system of traditional woodblock printing, he made full use of high-quality materials, complex and gorgeous coloring, and techniques unique to hand printing, creating a new art form in woodblock prints.
With the full cooperation of Watanabe Mokuhan Bijutsu Gaho (渡邊木版美術画舗), the exhibition shows many rare first-printing Watanabe prints, few of which survive. They include portraits of beautiful women by Ito Shinsui (伊東深水) and landscapes by Kawase Hasui (川瀬巴水). Works by foreign painters who inspired the birth of shin-hanga are also on view, introducing the history and appeal of the genre.
Related Events
During the exhibition, a variety of events will be held, including a commemorative lecture and a printing demonstration.
Commemorative Lecture: The Birth and Appeal of Shin-hanga
- Date: Saturday, December 12, 2026
- Details: https://paramitamuseum.com/event/event.html#e20261212
Shin-hanga Printing Demonstration
- Date: Sunday, December 13, 2026
- Details: https://paramitamuseum.com/event/event.html#e20261213
Poetry and Music: German Lieder Woven on the Piano (Concert)
- Date: Sunday, January 10, 2027
- Details: https://paramitamuseum.com/event/concert_images/2027/event_20270110.pdf
Exhibition Details
- Exhibition name: Ukiyo-e Woodblock Prints in a New Era: THE Shin-hanga – The Challenge of Publisher Shozaburo Watanabe (浮世絵木版画の新時代 THE 新版画版元・渡邊庄三郎の挑戦)
- Dates: Saturday, December 5, 2026 to Sunday, January 31, 2027
- Closed: Monday, December 28, 2026 to Friday, January 1, 2027 (national holiday)
- Venue: Paramita Museum (パラミタミュージアム), 21-6 Ohaneen Matsugaecho, Komono-cho, Mie-gun, Mie
- Hours: 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM (last admission at 5:00 PM)
