Uji Bashi (Uji Bridge) — 宇治橋

Ishiwata Koitsu's second catalogued version of the Uji Bridge subject depicts the historic crossing over the Uji River south of Kyoto, a structure with origins reaching back to the seventh century. The Uji River, carrying clear water southwest from Lake Biwa and the Shigaraki highlands, provided Koitsu with the characteristic aquamarine-green color that distinguishes this waterway from the murkier urban rivers he also depicted. This version is likely a different printing state or edition of the composition, with possible variations in sky [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) density, water coloration, or the seasonal indication of riverside vegetation. Koitsu, who worked in the [shin-hanga](/glossary/shin-hanga) tradition following training under Hiroshi Yoshida and later Ito Shinsui, characteristically organized his river compositions around the dynamic between the bridge's structural geometry and the moving water below, using reflected light and ripple patterns to animate the lower register. The city of Uji's associations with Byodoin temple and the Tale of Genji gave the bridge site literary as well as scenic resonance.