Flying Crane Over Rising Sun
Japanese Fine Art Reproduction Scroll

Flying Crane, Rising Sun

This features an Asian crane flying across the red disc of the rising sun at the horizon.

I loved this image when I first saw it on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s website. This was a woodblock print created by 八島岳亭 (Yashima Gakutei) back in about 1835. All of the prints were created so long ago that they all show a loss of detail, and portions were clipped. I spent many hours working on the restoration of the image. You can now enjoy something much closer to what this would have looked like nearly two centuries ago, for a price you can afford. I also cheated a little, as the original was a little over 8" (20cm) wide. Mine is almost 30% wider, so it makes a better presentation on your wall.

On the right, you will see the artist’s given name, 岳亭, written vertically, in black characters. Below, a red stamp appears to be a circle around a 島 character. But the circle is actually a stylized 八 character (see the breaks at the top and bottom of that oval/circle? Those make it two strokes, hence 八). This is 八島 (Yashima), the artist’s surname portion of his signature for this piece. Upon first glance, some may think it’s just a circle around 島 (Note: 島 means island by itself).

At the top are two poems celebrating the crane, the rising sun, longevity, and the renewal of spring.

The unsigned poem on the right is written in classical Chinese style. It is written in traditional vertical columns, read from top to bottom and proceeding from right to left. Below, I typed it left-to-right to match the orientation of this text:
天邊如布練
回轉又為霞
丹頂與丹頂
蘇生千歲華

This is a kanshi-style Chinese poem, which is Chinese-language poetry composed in the Japanese literary tradition.
It compares the horizon to a band of white silk and evokes the glowing haze or rosy clouds of dawn (霞), while the red crown of the crane visually echoes the red disc of the rising sun. Its final line, 蘇生千歲華, evokes renewed splendor and the crane’s traditional association with a thousand years of life.

A literal translation would be:
At heaven’s edge, like a length of white silk,
Wheeling about, it becomes rosy cloud.
Red crown meets red crown;
Reviving the splendor of a thousand years.

A more poetic English translation:
At the edge of heaven, like a band of white silk,
the crane wheels through the crimson clouds.
Its vermilion crown meets the vermilion sun,
renewing the splendor of a thousand years.

The poem at the upper left is a Japanese kyōka poem signed 倭和夛守 (Yamato Watamori), indicating that it is not by 岳亭 (Gakutei) himself. Here is the text:
しろたへの
鶴の羽衣
あけ方の
むらさきめくる
千金の春

Reading the cursive kuzushiji, the text resolves into the standard 5–7–5–7–7 structure. In modern Japanese orthography, the poem can be transcribed as:
白妙の
鶴の羽衣
明け方の
紫めくる
千金の春

The pronunciation (romaji) is: Shirotae no / tsuru no hagoromo / akegata no / murasaki-mekuru / senkin no haru

The literal translation:
The pure-white
feather robe of the crane,
at break of dawn,
turning purple in the dawn —
a spring worth a thousand pieces of gold.

A slightly more poetic translation:
The crane’s robe of pure white feathers,
at the break of dawn
At dawn, tinged with purple —
a spring worth a thousand gold.

The artist is believed to have been born around 1786, the illegitimate son of a samurai named Hirata who served the 徳川幕府 (Tokugawa shogunate). His mother later married into the 八島 (Yashima) family, from which the artist took the surname 八島 (Yashima).

This subject may be described in Japanese as 旭日飛鶴 (Kyokujitsu Hikaku), literally “Rising Sun and Flying Crane.” This is a descriptive title rather than a unique historical title for this particular print, and similar wording is used for other Japanese artworks depicting a crane with the rising sun.

Surviving impressions show varying degrees of fading, wear, loss of detail, and trimming. I spent many hours working on the restoration of the image. You can now enjoy something much closer to what this remarkable print would have looked like nearly two centuries ago, for a price you can afford.

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About Real Japanese Woodblock Prints

Woodblock printing, often considered the precursor to the modern printing press, was first developed in China and later brought to Japan, where artists refined the technique into a unique art form. In Japan, these prints are called 木版畫 ("Moku Hanga"). Most were created during the Edo period (1603–1867), though production continued into the early 20th century.

Japanese artists would first create a "template painting" depicting scenes of daily life, including women washing clothes, men writing poetry, samurai battles, and occasionally more dramatic subjects. These template images, known as 浮世絵 (Ukiyo-e, or "Floating World"), were then carved into wood by skilled artisans. Another specialist applied wet ink or pigments to the carved blocks, and a sheet of handmade paper was pressed on to create the final print. This collaborative process produced vibrant, detailed artworks much faster than hand-painting hundreds of copies.

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About This Reproduction

Original Japanese woodblock prints from the Edo period can sell for $800 to $20,000. Our prints are high-quality reproductions, crafted to capture the look and feel of the originals, though experts will recognize them as reproductions.

We use authentic handmade kozo (mulberry) paper—the same paper Japanese printmakers used centuries ago. Archival, UV-resistant pigment inks ensure long-lasting color, with laboratory testing showing up to 95 years of fade-free enjoyment if kept out of direct sunlight. Each reproduction is carefully color-corrected and restored, bringing the Edo period artwork to life for your wall.

Printing on delicate handmade paper is challenging. After testing multiple high-end printers, we found the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-2000 delivers the precision and quality needed, using 12 archival inks and 18,432 nozzles. Each print is then sent to our Beijing workshop, where it is mounted into a handmade wall scroll, ready-to-hang without the need for expensive framing, giving your piece an authentic Japanese look.

Because the original artist has long passed, these works are public domain. In some cases, we license high-resolution scans of original prints, or even scan 200-year-old originals ourselves. This dedication ensures you receive a stunning Japanese woodblock print reproduction at an affordable price, making traditional Asian art accessible to everyone.

Want a custom wall scroll or unique print size? Just contact us!

We can print larger sizes, choose your preferred paper texture, and select silk brocade colors. Ready-to-frame prints can ship in days, while custom wall scrolls may take several weeks. Either way, the result is a truly one-of-a-kind piece of Japanese art.