Yasaka Pagoda

The Yasaka Pagoda—formally Hōkan-ji Temple's five-story pagoda—is a landmark of the Higashiyama district in Kyoto, and a recurrent subject in both shin-hanga and earlier ukiyo-e. Yoshida's treatment likely situates the pagoda at the top of the stone-paved Ninenzaka or Sannenzaka lane, with traditional machiya townhouses flanking the approach and the pagoda's five curved rooflines stepping upward against the sky. His architectural prints characteristically balance structural precision with atmospheric depth, using fine-line key blocks to define the pagoda's bracketing and tile work while softer bokashi conveys ambient light. Depending on the edition, the print may depict morning mist, evening glow, or the pale light of an overcast day—conditions Yoshida staged to heighten the monumentality of the structure within its urban context.