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Mihonoseki from the series Scenic Views of the San'in Region

Moonlit Night at the Museum

Japanese Color Woodblock Print 

Mihonoseki

from the series Scenic Views of the San'in Region

by Asano Takeji, 1964/1965

Tottorisakyū from an untitled series of scenic views of Japan


IHL Cat. #1066

About This Print

A view of Mihonoseki harbor which opens up into Miho Bay and the Sea of Japan. This print is one of ten to twelve prints that Asano created from 1964 to 1965 of various scenic views in the San'in Region, encompassing the modern-day prefectures of Shimane, Tottori and the northern area of Yamaguchi.  The northern areas of Hyōgo and Kyōto prefectures are sometimes included in the region as well.1

1 Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San%27in_region

Mihonoseki
Source: Website of the Japan National Tourist Organization http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/shimane/mihonoseki.html

Mihonoseki is located in the area at the eastern edge of the Shimane-hanto Peninsula in northeastern Shimane through Sakai-Suido-Ohashi Bridge to Sakai-minato in Tottori. It is a port town that thrived as the pivot for marine traffic and trade with the Korean Peninsula from olden days. There is the Mihonoseki Lighthouse built with stones in the late 19th century at Jizo-zaki Point at the eastern edge of the peninsula. You can see a variety of natural beauty on the Miho-no-kitaura Coast on the northern side of the peninsula with inlets, precipices and caves, from a pleasure boat.

At the tip of the long, narrow peninsula on a hill overlooking the Mihonoseki Harbor stands the Miho-jinja Shrine with a long history first documented in the 8th century. This shrine is dedicated to two deities, and has a rare structure of two different styles of architecture for the principal sanctuaries. They celebrate the traditional ritual of Ao-fushi-gaki-Shinji that derives from a Japanese myth during which time a boat decorated with green brushwood fences cruises around Miho Bay.

In the western hills of Miho Harbor at the top of a 150-meter tall hill is a park called the Gohon-matsu Park. It has a hiking course to the Mihonoseki Lighthouse.

Mihonoseki harbor 2008

Print Details

 IHL Catalog #1066
 Title or Description Mihonoseki 美保関
 Series Scenic Views of the San'in Region
 名所絵 山陰地方 San'in meisho-e
 Artist 
 Asano Takeji (1900-1999)
 Signature 
竹二画刻 Takeji ga koku (drawn and carved by Takeji) 
 Seal
 no seal
 Publication Date 1964/1965
 Edition likely first and only edition
 Carver self-carved
 Printer 
 Publisher artist - the prints in the artist's series of scenic views around Japan and of various cities in the western world, published in the 1960s, were originally distributed through a print collecting club (木版画 頒布会 moku hanga hanpukai).
 Impression excellent
 Colors excellent
 Condition excellent
 Genre sosaku hanga (creative print)
 Miscellaneous 
 Format oban
 H x W Paper 10 1/2 x 15 13/16 in. (26.7 x 40.2 cm)
 H x W Image
 9 9/16 x 14 5/16 in. (24.3 x 36.4 cm) 
 Collections This Print
 Reference Literature 
last revised:
8/23/2018