Another week to explore all that Tokyo has to offer, from museum to beautiful landscapes. A week to explore from the ocean, to the mountain and through the forest.
Kamakura
As someone really interested in traditional heritage and culture, I’m more drawn to temples and old cities that kept this traditional feeling than the futuristic aspects of Tokyo.
So I traveled down south to see Kamakura, a city located near the Pacific Ocean.
Kamakura is overflowing with temples, like the Kōtoku-in that contains an enormous Buddha, or the Hasadera shrine with its multiples koi’s ponds.
A lantern in Hasadera temple
Ukiyo-e
Ukiyo-e is a Japanese artistique movement of the Edo period (1603-1868), with paintings and printmaking with woodblocks. The movement sees many masters, like Hokusai and Hiroshige.
It’s like the premise of urban sketching with scenes capture on the moment, majestic landscapes with a hint of mystical elements like Yokai (Japanese spirits) and Mythologie.
I’m not gonna do a lecture on this topic but this movement interest me particularly for all the depictions of Japanese landscapes of this time.
Exemple of Ukiyo-e
Since it is printed with ink, it is very similar to watercolor.
I am really inspired by the composition, pattern of natural elements like waves and trees, gradient of color and themes they covered. I’ll try to incorporate what I’ll learn in my future painting !
The National museum of Tokyo has a beautiful collection and I spend a rainy day studying.
As a bookworm myself, I couldn’t resist getting an illustrations book to study them during my trip, will see if it is really a good idea to had more weight to my backpack !
Paravent & painting
Fuji san
Fuji san is one of the most scenic place in Japan so it was an evidence to go paint there.
A good view point when the weather is clear is Kawaguchiko, one the 5 lacs surrounding the sacred mountain.
It was really peaceful to spend the
afternoon painting, listening to the sound of wind.
Small postcard of Fuji San
It’s already the end of my time in Tokyo, time fly so fast !
I’m heading up north to the Chūbu region, more news next week !