Kuchi-e are loosely classified as handmade multicoloured prints made for book frontispieces. They generally have 2 or 3 folds in the print as they were tucked into the book. At times it can be difficult to link the scene depicted to the actual story told. Gekko did the illustrations for a number of kuchi-e, the majority of images shown here are woodblock prints, the last one is a lithograph. Many of Gekko's kuchi-e were produced for the magazine Bungei Kurabu (Literary Club).

Yama Biraki (Opening of the Mountain to Climbers) Bungei Kurabu , Vol.16, No.8

 

Winter Birds. Bungei Kurabu December 1903

 

Winter Scene. Bungei Kurabu magazine, December 1st 1912

 

Tomoe

 

Birds and Iris

 

Scared by Thunder. This print can often be found as a modern re-issue.

 

Butterfly maiden

 

Composing a poem

 

Bijin in the Window

 

Opening the Tea House

 

Bijin with nosegay: A lithograph from Bungei Kurabu magazine 1914