View of Azalea Garden from Mt. Fuji, Hasui Kawase

kottke.org May 27, 2025 By Jason Kottke

woodblock print of a snow covered mountain with a field of flowers in the foreground

I love this gorgeous woodblock print from Hasui Kawase, View of Azalea Garden from Mt. Fuji. Hasui was a significant influence on Studio Ghibli & Hayao Miyazaki.

After all, the influence of Kawase on Ghibli, Miyazaki and his team of genius illustrators and animators is plain to see, and Miyazaki himself has previously stated his deep admiration for the legendary painter. The ability of Kawase to capture natural beauty alongside the human experience plays a significant part in Miyazaki’s love for Kawase, and it finds its way into several of the best Studio Ghibli films.

The likes of My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke all feature landscapes that are highly reminiscent of Kawase’s woodblock print style. Whether in the lush forests or beautiful countryside settings, it’s clear that Miyazaki was always keen on paying his respects to one of his favourite artists.

Here are a few more of Hasui’s hundreds of works:

woodblock print of a man walking in a forest of tall trees

woodblock print of a woman walking in the snow carrying an umbrella

woodblock print of green fields with mountains in the background

woodblock print of a horse-drawn wagon in front of bundles of bamboo

woodblock print of a sailboat on a lake

woodblock print of a winter scene

You can find a large catalog of Hasui’s work here, at Wikimedia Commons, and at Flickr.

Tags: art · Hasui Kawase · Hayao Miyazaki · Japan · Studio Ghibli

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