The Pass to The Kiyomizu Temple

This print depicts the sloping approach to Kiyomizu-dera, the hillside temple in eastern Kyoto reached via the steep Kiyomizu-zaka and Sannenzaka pathways lined with traditional shops and teahouses. Sadanobu III treats the subject as [meisho-e](/glossary/meisho-e), organizing the composition along the rising perspective of the pass with figures and architectural detail receding toward the temple precincts above. Prints of this type typically combine carefully registered keyblock outlines with [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) gradations in the sky and distant foliage, printed on washi using the [baren](/glossary/baren) to build layered atmospheric effects in the trees and tiled rooftops. The subject sits within Sadanobu III's broader project of documenting the landmarks of the Kansai region — temples, gates, river crossings, and old quarters — at a time when [shin-hanga](/glossary/shin-hanga) and [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) artists in Tokyo were reshaping the woodblock medium. Working from Osaka, Sadanobu III maintained the older meisho-e tradition inherited from his grandfather and father while adapting it to twentieth-century printing sensibilities, treating Kyoto's pilgrimage routes as continuous subject matter alongside his Osaka scenes.