Katsushika Hokusai designed this print series from the perspective of a confused nurse attempting to illustrate classical poetry but missing the subtle allusions. This interpretation creates what would have been considered a comical disconnect between poem and image. The poem on this print reads as follows: In the mountain village, it is in winter that my loneliness increases most, when I think of how both have dried up, the grasses and people’s visits. —Translation by Joshua Mostow While nobleman Minamoto no Muneyuki (died 939) wrote of dying grasses, the nurse imagines instead a lively scene of hunters warming themselves around a fire.
View the original at Cleveland Museum of Art →A national statute written for one city. Article 1 recites the beauty of Kyoto and its historically, culturally and artistically important position in the world, and gives two purposes: to raise international culture and serve the ideal of permanent world peace, and to contribute to the economic recovery of Japan. It was passed five years after the war ended.
The cool part. Article 3 lets Kyoto designate culture tourism preservation districts and, by ordinance, prohibit building, rebuilding, removal, changes to the shape of the land and the cutting of bamboo, trees and stone, with compensation for ordinary loss. Then Article 4 does something statutes almost never do. It places a duty on the mayor personally: in the spirit of local autonomy, and with the cooperation of residents, the mayor must engage in ceaseless activity to complete the city. Nara received its own Act, number 250, the day before.
Verify at e-Gov 法令検索 →Use it Two-colour foil on uncoated stock gets you most of this at production cost.
Description source: museum curator text — not generated