Onchi Koshiro: East Gate, Taipei (Taihoku Tomon) 台北東門 (RESERVED)
Artist: Onchi Kôshirô (1891-1955)
Title: East Gate, Taipei (Taihoku Tomon) 台北東門 Date: 1939
Series: 100 Views of New Japan 新日本百景 (Shin Nihon Hyakkei)
Our view is of the Qing-era East Gate in Taipei; we feel the subtropical atmosphere, with palmlike trees and dense vegetation dominating the foreground. Onchi is famous for his unerring sense of color, and we note the unique hue of the sky as well as the precise and intentional colors for the other elements of the design. Onchi was the most prominent of the sosaku hanga artists who contributed to this series, and he contributed two print designs out of the 39 that were included in the (never completed) set.
Japan ruled Taiwan for 50 years, from 1895-1945, beginning with the Treaty of Shimonoseki, which followed the first Sino-Japanese War and transferred sovereignty over Taiwan from China to Japan. The occupation years were certainly often anything but peaceful, but we see how the Japanese considered Taiwan part of their territory at this time in their history, as this design in included this series of “Views of New Japan”.
This city gate was constructed in the 19th century Qing Dynasty as the Jingfu (East) Gate, one of five original gates which connected the 5 km of city walls that were completed in 1884. The Japanese tore down the walls of Taipei in the early 20th century, including portions of this gate. The building in this portrayal looks close to what is shown in old photographs of the original gate. Today’s East Gate looks much different and stands at the intersection of Zhongshan South Road and Xinyi Road. In 1921, during Onchi’s first trip outside of the Japanese mainland islands, Onchi visited Taiwan to visit his sister, who was living there during the Japanese occupation. He apparently then made the sketches and paintings that would have inspired this print. It is also possible that this structure looked quite different in 1921 than it did in 1939, when this was published.
This comes from what must be the first edition, as it came in a paper folder with two attached paper labels. It also has the number “35” at bottom. We’ve removed the print from its folder, as it was on acidic paper that was not conservation quality.
The front label reads:
新日本百景 (Shin-Nihon hyakkei) Hundred Views of New Japan
台北東門 (Taipei Higashi-mon) East Gate of Taipei（台湾） (Taiwan)
恩地 孝四郎作 Made by Onchi Kôshirô
日本版画協会選 Selected by The Japan Print Association
The inside label reads:
新日本百景 Hundred Views of New Japan No.16
日本版画協会選 Selected by The Japan Print Association
台北東門 East Gate of Taipei（台湾）(Taiwan)
恩地 孝四郎 Onchi Kôshirô
Construction entails destruction (Building something requires destroying something else). A traveler feels it is a shame to see old Taiwan being destroyed. However to build the new, whatever stands in its way must be destroyed. This gate stands as a kind of symbol of a compromise struck at some arbitrary point between those two opposing forces. Other gates have also survived as well but this one is best suited to that purpose. With only the walls removed, it remains otherwise unchanged from its former state, and somehow it seems to have adapted best to the new surroundings.
By now, the betel nut palms around it must have grown considerably taller. But if they grow any taller, they will obscure the gate too much.
It may look different from how it is today but I deliberately made it this way. There is a lonely, poignant beauty in the sight of it, standing all by itself in broad daylight with not a soul passing by.
第六回配布 The 6th Distribution
昭和十四年八月十五日印刷 Printed: August 15 1939 (Showa 14)
昭和十四年八月ニ十日発行 Published: August 20 1939
東京市中野区宮里町一六 16 Miyazato-cho, Nakano-ku, Tokyo City
編緝 発行兼印刷者 前川 千帆 Editor and Printer: Maekawa Senpan
東京市中野区宮里町一六 前川方 c/o Maekawa
16 Miyazato-cho, Nakano-ku, Tokyo City
発行所 日本版画協会 Publisher: The Japan Print Association
新日本百景事務 Office for Hundred Views of New Japan
Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. Never framed. With the two labels included in a separate folder.
Literature: See British Museum website (also for their 2nd example, which is a trial proof), Carnegie Museum of Art, Gallery of NSW.
Dimensions: 32.7 x 25.7 cm
SKU: ONH010
