Utagawa Yoshimune II

Arai Yoshimune (新井芳宗, 1863-1941) was a Japanese woodblock illustrator and print designer of the shin-hanga movement. Much of his work was published by Hasegawa or Nishinomiya.

Family background Arai Yoshimune was a name he adopted for himself in adulthood. He was the youngest son of the ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Yoshimune I, and after his father's death in 1880 he assumed the name Utagawa Yoshimune II. Previously, in 1875, he had become a disciple of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi and taken the name Tosetsu.

Work In 1882, together with Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, he joined the staff of the Illustrated Free Newspaper, and later drew many illustrations for newspapers and magazines.

Arai Yoshimune was noted for his technique in depicting the effect of light at night or on water. His most popular works are part of a series called Hasegawa's Night Scenes.