Hokkaido: Showa Shinzan

Showa Shinzan is a volcanic lava dome on Hokkaido that emerged dramatically from a wheat field between 1943 and 1945 — a geological event witnessed and meticulously documented by the local postmaster Masao Mimatsu. The peak's unusual origin, its raw and still relatively young volcanic form, and its position rising abruptly from flat agricultural land make it a visually distinctive subject. Sekino's print likely captures the dome's steep, irregular silhouette against a Hokkaido sky, the surrounding landscape kept low and flat to emphasize the volcanic intrusion. The subject combines the traditional kacho-e interest in natural phenomena with the specificity of meisho-e place documentation, presenting a landscape feature that is both geologically recent and already deeply associated with Hokkaido identity. As a sosaku-hanga work, the print would use carving and color blocking to render the rocky, asymmetrical surface of the dome with directness and material conviction.