Asakusa rokku
- Gallery: Room 94
- Culture: Showa Era
- Made in: Japan
- Date: 1930
- Object type: print
- Materials: paper
- Museum number: 1987,0316,0.562
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is a vibrant "Asakusa Rokku" woodblock print by Suwa Kanenori from 1930. This Color woodblock depicts a lively night scene in Asakusa's sixth district—the heart of Tokyo's entertainment and culture in the early twentieth century. Crowds gather among brightly colored shop signs and billboards, reflecting the bustling energy of a world rapidly changing after the Edo period.
The print is part of a series titled "New East Tokyo Hundred Scenes," capturing a Tokyo in transition. The stark use of red, black, and grey conveys a mood of quiet tension, hinting at modern themes of commercialization and automation. Created in Japan during the Showa era, this work reflects both an appreciation for local heritage and a modern artistic sensibility influenced by international styles. It was acquired in 1987 from the estate of collector Robert Vergez. Take a moment to trace the lines of the signs and notice how each detail adds to the atmosphere of a city alive with possibility and change.
See it in person
Asakusa rokku is on display in Room 94 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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