Shoujo Circle

This scene and outfit has been depicted in other cover illustrations, by Katsuji Matsumoto (left) and Masami Matsumoto (right, no relation).

An illustration my Kashou Takabatake featuring a scene from Nobuko Yoshiya's book "Wasurenagusa" (Forget-Me-Not) from 1932. It depicts Makiko, dressed in drag, going to a party with Youko.

Whoops I did mix them up. Might as well repost.

This scene was depicted a few other times by illustrators for this book, including the covers made by Katsuji Matsumoto (left) and Masami Matsumoto (right, no relation).

August 1936 cover of Shoujo no Tomo, by Junichi Nakahara.

Cover of Junior Soleil, by René Naito. July 1959.

Little Red Riding Hood by Junichi Nakahara, 1930s.

Kashou Takabatake, 1920s.

Kouji Fukiya, 1920s.

企画展 #夢二でたどるアール・ヌーヴォーとその周辺 では、ミュンヘンで出版された美術雑誌『ユーゲント』から竹久夢二が受けた影響を比較考察するコーナーも🧐

『ユーゲント』から気に入ったイラストを自作にアレンジ。
単なる模倣ではなく、簡略＋平面化しながらオリジナリティを加味しています🖌️

Illustration in Shoujo no Tomo by Junichi Nakahara, 1939. Depicts two of the main characters of Otome no Minato (a foundational shoujo novel) by Tsuneko Nakazato, Michiko on the left and Youko on the right.

"Look, Fairies! Take a Picture!" by Shigeru Hatsuyama, 1933.

📯開催しました！📯

「#マツオヒロミ 展」at #磐田市香りの博物館

香りの博物館らしく
マツオヒロミの世界観を香りで表現したコーナーがあります。

浜松駅から在来線で２駅。
最寄り駅から徒歩約５分とアクセス抜群！
夏のお出かけにどうぞ✨

iwata-kaori.jp

Cover of "Blue Note / Boy" by Nobuko Yoshiya, cover art by Katsuji Matsumoto.

"Firefly Hunting" by Shigeru Sudou, 1926

Illustration for an adaption of "Enoch Arden" for the magazine Himawari in 1950, Junichi Nakahara.

本日 #花火の日
1733年に隅田川で慰霊の花火が打ち上げられたことが由来とのこと

夢二の作品は大正4年発行『三味線草』より📖
右下に書かれた日付には、両国の川開き（今の隅田川花火大会）が行われていました🎆

今年は5月に花火大会が行われるところも出て来ていますね🙂
年々夏が早く感じられます🍉

He returned to Japan in 1933, but unfortunately took ill not long after. He died some months later in 1934 at the age of 49, a shock to many of his friends and colleagues in the creative community. His influence is undeniable even today in shoujo and children's art from Japan.

Despite the setbacks, he was able to use his success to travel around Japan, and made connections with many artists of the day including Kashou Takabatake and Kouji Fukiya. By 1931, he planned to tour the world, going to both the US and Germany, though the exhibits there were unsuccessful.

He would find more mainstream success writing poems and doing art for various children's and girl's magazines throughout the 1910s-20s. The 1923 Great Kanto earthquake destroyed his business, however, and he created a series of artwork reflecting the pain of that period.

A leftist at this time, he would make friends with socialists and do political art for Heimin Shinbun, a leftist newspaper. In 1910, he was arrested and detained for 2 days, then released, on suspicion of being part of the High Treason Incident, an alleged plot to kill Emperor Meiji.

Born in Okayama in 1882 and raised in Kobe, he would run away from home in 1901 at the age of 17, going to Tokyo without any real support. He took art in a private academy and started his career doing art for newspapers and magazines from 1905.

Yumeji Takehisa was one of the first shoujo artists, and was one of the most influential of his day. Almost all other names of the era had some connection to him, and he did work for many shoujo magazines of the day. His unique aesthetic style set the stage for pop art in the 20th century.

New profile picture for spring, the April 1939 cover illustration by Junichi Nakahara. We are looking into starting a blog to help be a reference point in English for information regarding the artists and writers of the era. Stay tuned!

Takabatake's work would fall quickly into obscurity after WWII, moreso even than his contemporaries, passing away in 1966. While revivals of interest in his work would happen over the decades, he remains fairly obscure to this day, despite being instrumental in 20th century Japanese pop art.

During his stint with Shoujo Gahou, his work would appear alongside early Girls' Love stories by Nobuko Yoshiya, and sometimes illustrating the themes in them. Naturally these were softer depictions, but nonetheless daring for the era.

Along with being a pioneer in the bishoujo and bishounen genres, he often depicted both young women and men in close, intimate situations. Men and boys were often depicted in competitive or occasionally violent situations.

Covers of Shounen Club (left), Shoujo Gahou (center), and Fujin Sekai (Women's World, right).

He did art for a wide variety of magazines in the 20s and 30s, notably doing cover art for Shoujo Gahou (Girls Pictorial), Shounen Club, and the children's magazine Kin no Fune (Golden Ship), but did illustrations for many more. He was so popular he was even mentioned in a popular song.

Two men defending themselves in 19th century Japan from an unknown assailant. One is holding a gun and clutching the other man, who is bleeding from the shoulder and holding a bloody sword. Kashou Takabatake, 1920s.

Three girls on a porch, one with a guitar with the other two holding hands and singing. Kashou Takabatake, 1920s.

Kashou Takabatake (高畠華宵) was perhaps the most popular artist for young people in the 1920s, his work often capturing the essence of an era known for rapid cultural and aesthetic change. He is also one of the earliest artists with a focus on same-sex affection for both young women and men.

Dollfie Dreams dolls based on Junichi Nakahara's fashion designs and illustrations.

Licca-chan dolls from Takara Tomy based on Junichi Nakahara's fashion designs with illustrations.

His impact on the doll hobby in Japan is notable, as several contemporary doll companies have paid homage to him, from commemorative Licca dolls from Takara Tomy to much more expensive Dollfie Dreams dolls from Volks.