Kisokaidô: Karuizawa - Station 18

Utagawa Hiroshige - Series of the 69 stations of the Kisokaido: Karuizawa (19th print) (Karuizawa)

(Edition done in 1950's by Kyoto Hanga-in under the supervision of Narazaki Muneshige, the most faithful to the first edition)

Karuizawa was an important station on the other side of Usui-pass and the first station in Shinshu province at 37 ru 13 cho (145km, 95mi) from Nihonbashi. We are here outside the station and the thatched roofs (1) of the village can be seen in the middle distance. It is autumn after the harvest. A peasant is burning some stubble on the road and a traveler stopped to get a light while his travelling companion stoops to light his own pipe from the bonfire. It is one of Hiroshige’s best nocturnal scenes with its treatment of light being innovative and effective. The lights from both bonfires (4) and the hazy smoke create a strong sense of depth. The light from the rider’s lamp (2) attracts the eye to his face illuminated from below. “いせり" (Iseri) is written on the lamp referring to Iseya Rihei, the publisher. The top of his seal (林) also appears on the horse’s girth (3). In the background, the tall volcano Mt.Asama looms.

There are only two night scenes In the Tokaido series, the first by Hiroshige, but following their success, Hiroshige experimented with several night landscapes in this series. They rank among his finest compositions. The square seal (5) refers to the Tokaido series, to link both series and to capitalize on the Tokaido’s success. The same seal can also be found in station Sekigahara (#58), both station being the first ones he created after Eisen’s departure and by linking the two series, he justifies taking the series over. The first printings have the Hoeido seal in the margin, but it disappears quickly in the following printings. The first edition has gradation on the thatched roof and a dab of color in the fire smoke. These are omitted in later impressions as the printing became coarser.

(Source: The 69 stations of the Kisokaido, Sebastian Izzard, Brazillier 2008)

Karuizawa from the Pass road ca. 1870

And now ?

The place which bears the name Karuizawa is located 2 to 3km from the station itself towards the Usui-pass. Karuizawa-shuku was the most important station of the whole itinerary with five honjin and waki-honjin and over 100 inns. The village stretched along the road and a picture from 1870 (below) shows us the outskirts. During Edo period, the station has several hundreds of “meshimori onna” ((飯盛女), women employed by the shogun’s authorities to serve the travelers. The countryside around Karuizawa has not changed a lot as can be seen from the recent picture (on the right) taken from where Hiroshige located his print.

Karuizawa could have become one of these sleeping towns, but around 1890, Karuizawa became popular with the Western missionaries who liked its cool climate and wanted to escape from the summer heat of Tokyo. Churches and other modern, i.e. Western style buildings started to appear and a railway station (with a formal reception room for the Imperial family, see picture below) was built putting Karuizawa at 2 hours from Tokyo. Karuizawa became the place where one must be seen and the meeting place of the Japanese jet set during the summer, to play tennis or golf or more recently for skiing. Pictures from the 1920’s show the main street lined with fashionable cars and western buildings. Wealthy Japanese joined the ranks and modern summer houses were built, especially after 1950 when the future emperor met his bride at the local tennis club. Karuizawa hosted events for both 1964 summer Olympics games (equitation) and 1998 winter Olympic games (curling).

Today Karuizawa is still a very trendy resort with luxury shops in the main street named Karuizawa Ginza after the famous Tokyo shopping district. But this means that all the old houses have been destroyed to be replaced by mock Tudor buildings and other moder structures. When walking in Karuizawa, we feel it is not Japan anymore…..

Paul Jacoulet (1898-1960), a French artist who came to Japan aged three came to live in Karuizawa in 1944 after his Tokyo house was destroyed in the bombings. He never left. He is well known for his portraits of Pacific Islands beauties. He is also famous for the extreme complexity of his woodblock prints with many blocs, requiring up to 60 impressions, with difficult gradations and applied mica backgrounds. The three prints below are very representative of his work. The one on the left is his first print after a first travel in the Islands, The one in the middle represents a Japanese Geisha named Kiyoka holding his first print and the one on the right is a later work, more complex with ornamentation and difficult background.