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](/glossary/washi) paper itself to suggest accumulated snow on the eaves, balustrades, and surrounding pine boughs, with [bokashi](/glossary/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](/glossary/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](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) and [shin-hanga](/glossary/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.