Tsuchiya Kōitsu (Japan, 1870-1949) Print, oban tate-e, from the series Tōkyō fūkei (東京風景), Views of Tokyo, plate Ginza no ame (銀座の雨 ), Rain in Ginza. Signed Kōitsu and stamped Shin. Dated the 11th month of Showa 6 (1933). Publisher's stamp of Doi Teiichi. Second printing after 1938 and probably post-war (slight foxing). Dim. 39,6 x 26 cm Ginza was originally a colloquial name for the silver-mining office that stood in this district during the Tokugawa regime in the 17th century. When the district was destroyed by fire in 1872, the Meiji government had it rebuilt as a new district, embodying the modern city, with gas street lamps and fireproof brick houses. The district was destroyed twice more, in the earthquake of 1923 and after the bombings of the Second World War. In this print, Koitsu plays on the luminosity of the many neon lights that illuminate the district and reflect off the wet cobblestones. Reference: This print is reproduced in: Uhlenbeck, Dwinger, Ouweleen, Shin hanga: Les Estampes Modernes du Japon 1900-1960, Éditions Hazan (2022), p.159 A similar print held at LACMA, n°M.73.37.476