Modern prints from the early 20th century fall into two categories: Shin-hanga, or "new woodcut prints," and Sosaku-hanga, "creative prints," a parallel movement in which the artist took control of the entire production of their woodblocks (from initial design to carved blocks, and finally printing). These artists also pushed the boundaries of traditional ukiyo-e subject matter. Both the Shin-Hanga and Sosaku-hanga movements started in the early 1900s. However, the movements evolved separately as the artists in the Shin-Hanga movement wanted to revive the traditional ways of the old ukiyo-e masters, such as Hokusai, Hiroshige, and others.

One of the most famous artists of the "new prints" was Kawase Hasui. His art was primarily influenced by Ando Hiroshige's style of "travel prints," where Hiroshige would travel around Japan and visit famous landmarks, sketching each landmark for eventual production such as his series, "53 Stations of the Tokaido". Hasui developed his style from Hiroshige, as he would often travel to unknown locations. His subject matter typically focused on isolated areas of nature juxtaposed with the harmony of human presence. His prints would often be of the exact location, represented in different times of day, seasons, and weather. 
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The Shin-Hanga movement was in large part a great success, gaining international renown led by the artists Kawase Hasui, Hashiguchi Goyo, Ohara Koson, & Hiroshi Yoshida, who all had their turn under the careful tutelage of the master printer/publisher Watanabe Shôzaburô. Watanabe's prints, produced from 1915 to 1942, are among the most sought-after editions published; this is especially true of images created before the "Great Tanto Earthquake" of 1932, known as pre-earthquake. Almost all of the original blocks and designs of the actual Shin-hanga movements were lost when Watanabe's studio burned during the fires that ravaged the capital, creating a situation where few prints from the time survived.