Tokuriki - Noodle Shop on a Rainy Night

Tomikichiro Tokuriki (1902–1999)

Publisher: Kyoto Publisher
Date: 1951
Genre: Ukiyo-e, Shin-hanga
Medium: Woodblock Print, Size: Oban

Noodle Shop on a Rainy Night is one of Tomikichiro Tokuriki's most atmospheric postwar designs. A small roadside food stall glows warmly against the darkness as rain falls outside. Two customers sit quietly at the counter while the proprietor watches for passing patrons. The brilliant orange interior contrasts beautifully with the cool blues and grays of the rainy evening, its light reflecting across the wet pavement to create a scene of mood and tranquility.

This example is the "Traditional Attire" (Variant B) version of the design, depicting the customers in Japanese dress rather than Western clothing.

Tomikichiro Tokuriki (1902–1999) was one of Kyoto's most respected twentieth-century woodblock print artists. Born into a family that had served for generations as official artisans to Kyoto's Honganji Temple, he received traditional artistic training before embracing the emerging sōsaku hanga ("creative print") movement, in which artists designed, carved, and printed their own works.

Although Tokuriki is often associated with the creative print movement, he became best known for his beautifully printed landscapes and views of Kyoto, many published in the shin-hanga tradition. Following the Second World War, he established his own publishing house, Matsukyu, where he continued producing prints while also teaching woodblock carving to a new generation of artists. His work is celebrated for its harmonious compositions, subtle color palettes, and evocative depictions of Japan's cities, temples, and everyday life, making him one of the most recognizable Kyoto printmakers of the twentieth century.

Condition: Very good color and condition. Not backed, tape remnants across top of top border.