The Pagoda of Ninnaji Temple Winter

This print depicts the five-story pagoda of Ninnaji, the Shingon Buddhist temple complex in northwest Kyoto, under a covering of snow. Ninnaji's pagoda, built in 1644 during the Kan'ei era, is one of the recognizable architectural landmarks of the Omuro district, and Asada renders it here as a vertical anchor against the muted winter palette. Snow scenes of this kind rely on the unprinted washi paper itself to suggest accumulated snow on the eaves, balustrades, and surrounding pine boughs, with bokashi gradations in the sky and ground planes establishing atmospheric depth. The restrained color register—likely confined to grays, indigo, and the warm browns of the timber structure—reflects the meisho-e tradition adapted to a quieter, more contemplative mood than the bustling tourist views of the nineteenth century. The subject fits squarely within Asada's lifelong engagement with Kyoto's temple architecture and seasonal landscapes, a body of work he developed across both sosaku-hanga and shin-hanga channels from his base in the old capital. Like his contemporaries Tokuriki Tomikichiro and Asano Takeji, he treated Ninnaji as a recurring motif across the seasons.