Kawabata Ryūshi: Dragon Lore and the Pursuit of Monumental Nihonga Born in Wakayama City, Japan (1885), Kawabata Ryūshi—later known as Kawabata Shotarō—emerged as a dominant figure within the Nihonga movement, an artistic endeavor dedicated to preserving traditional aesthetics and prioritizing monumental scale. His formative years were steeped in poetic contemplation, nurtured by his father’s kimono business – though tragically unsucc…