Miotsukushi

A woodblock print referencing Miotsukushi, a term that carries layered meanings in Japanese culture. As a chapter title in The Tale of Genji, it refers to channel markers used in the waterways near Naniwa (modern Osaka) and serves as a metaphor for navigation and longing. Nakazawa may be depicting either the literary scene or the actual waterway markers of the Osaka bay area, where wooden stakes were planted to guide boats through shallow channels. The subject connects to his Genji illustrations and to his interest in Osaka-area scenes, bridging classical literature with physical geography. The dual resonance of the title, both practical and poetic, is characteristic of themes that appealed to educated Japanese print collectors of the early twentieth century.