Shōzaburō Watanabe (1885–1962) began working at the age of 17 for the ukiyo-e dealer Kobayashi Bunshichi’s export branch (the Yokohama store) at the age of 17. Captivated by the beauty of ukiyo-e he encountered there, he resolved to revive ukiyo-e woodblock prints (nishiki-e)—which had been in steady decline since the Meiji era—and to create new woodblock prints. He later went independent and established the Watanabe Woodblock Print Shop (now the Watanabe Woodblock Art Gallery) in Kyobashi, Tokyo, in Meiji 42 (1909). While conducting research on and selling ukiyo-e, he began, starting in Taisho 4 (1915), to create woodblock prints based on the works of foreign painters visiting Japan. and, together with a group of up-and-coming artists—primarily students of Kiyokata Kaburagi—he embarked on the creation of new woodblock prints characterized by a high level of artistic sophistication. Through the collaborative efforts of artists, carvers, and printers—and supported by Shōzaburō’s ingenuity and exceptional aesthetic sensibility—he introduced “Shin-hanga” to the world, becoming the catalyst for the “Shin-hanga Movement” that swept across Japan and abroad in the early Shōwa era.
　In this exhibition, with the full cooperation of the Watanabe Woodblock Print Art Shop—which continues to carry on the spirit of “Shin-Hanga”—we trace the trajectory of Shōzaburō Watanabe’s artistic challenges through his rare first-print editions, of which only a few remain, and showcase the charm of his fresh, vibrant expressions, imbued with a modern spirit.