HATSUFUYU

Hatsufuyu, meaning the first days of winter, depicts the quiet threshold between autumn and the cold season in a traditional Japanese townscape. Nishijima likely renders wooden machiya facades or a rural lane under overcast skies, the last persimmon leaves clinging to bare branches while the first chill settles over tile rooftops. His characteristic precision in rendering latticed wooden storefronts and earthen plaster walls is softened here by a muted palette of grays and subdued ochres, evoking the particular stillness of early winter before snow arrives. Graduated bokashi washes in the sky and along the eaves convey diffused winter light without drama, consistent with Nishijima's restrained atmospheric approach.