About This Print
The fourth of eight prints in the series The Eight Views of Japan (Nihon Hakkei) published by Uchida Woodblock Printing Company sometime in the 1950s. This print, depicting the "Marriage Rocks" near the town of Futami during summer at daybreak, along with the Futami Okitama Shrine, was originally published in 1941 as part of the series Scenes of Sacred and Historic Places (see image below.)
Print as originally issued in 1941 as part of the series
Scenes of Sacred and Historic Places
The Series - The Eight Views of Japan
This series reused eight previously issued images from the 1941 series Scenes of Sacred and Historic Places (Seichi Shiseki Meisho) and re-issued them in a portfolio of prints titled Eight Views of Japan. It appears that the same blocks were used for both series. The information in the right margin which appeared in the 1941 issue has been removed, except for the copyright notice, and the publisher has used their "han moto u chida da" octagonal seal below the artist's signature on each print. (For information on the earlier series Scenes of Sacred and Historic Places see Table of Contents from the series Scenes of Sacred and Historic Places.)The table of contents pasted into the inside of the folder notes that the prints are "Selections from Prints of Places of Historic and Scenic Interest" (a.k.a. Scenes of Sacred and Historic Places) and that it contains "2 each of four seasons."
For pictures of the series' folder, Table of Contents and the other prints in the series see The Cherry Blossoms of Mount Shigi in Nara Prefecture from the series The Eight Views of Japan.
The "Marriage Rocks"
Source: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meoto_IwaMeoto Iwa (夫婦岩), or the Loved one-and-loved one Rocks [a.k.a "Marriage Rocks"], are a couple of small rocky stacks in the sea off Futami, Mie, Japan. They are joined by a shimenawa (a heavy rope of rice straw) and are considered sacred by worshippers at the neighboring Futami Okitama Shrine (Futami Okitama Jinja (二見興玉神社). According to Shinto, the rocks represent the union of the creator of kami Izanagi [male devine being] and kami Izanami [female design being]. The rocks, therefore, celebrate the union in marriage of man and woman. The rope, which weighs over a ton, must be replaced several times a year in a special ceremony. The larger rock, said to be male, has a small torii at its peak.
The best time to see the rocks is at dawn during the summer, when the sun appears to rise between them. Mount Fuji is visible in the distance. At low tide, the rocks are not separated by water.
Okitama Shrine is dedicated to food goddess Miketsu. There are numerous statues of frogs around the shrine. The shrine and the two rocks are near the Grand Shrine of Ise, the most important location in Shinto.
Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #936 |
| Title | Ise Fumai Bay 伊勢 二見浦 in Mie Prefecture |
| Series | The Eight Views of Japan 日本八景 Nippon hakkei |
| Artist | Tokuriki Tomikichirō (1902-2000) |
| Signature | Tomikichirō saku |
| Seal | no artist's seal |
| Date | c. 1950s |
| Edition | originally published 1941 as part of the series Scenes of Sacred and Historic Places |
| Publisher |  Hanmoto Uchida seal of Uchida Bijutsu Shoten (publisher's seal below artist's signature) [Marks: pub. seal 09-013; pub. ref. 558] (publisher's seal below artist's signature) |
| Impression | excellent |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | excellent - tipped to original backing as issued |
| Genre | shin hanga (new print); fūkeiga |
| Miscellaneous | #4 in the series; copyright notice is in lower right margin of print |
| Format | horizontal oban |
| H x W Paper | 11 1/4 x 16 1/2 in. (28.6 x 41.9 cm) |
| H x W Image | 10 1/4 x 15 (26 x 38.1 cm) |
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