Nunobiki waterfall

The Nunobiki Falls, a series of cascades in the hills behind Kobe, have been celebrated as a meisho since the Heian period and are mentioned in the Ise Monogatari. Kawanishi transposes this long-venerated subject into the [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) idiom, in which the artist designs, carves, and prints the block himself rather than dividing labor in the traditional [shin-hanga](/glossary/shin-hanga) manner. Expect flat, simplified color planes for the rock face and surrounding foliage, with the falling water rendered as vertical white reserves cut directly into the block rather than achieved through [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) gradation. The composition is likely organized around the vertical descent of the water against horizontal rock striations and framing greenery. The print belongs to Kawanishi's broader project of reframing Kobe's landmarks — harbor, hillsides, festivals, suburban falls — through a regional sosaku-hanga vocabulary informed by Fauvist color and the movement's commitment to direct authorship.