A Fishing Net with Four Hands

This print depicts a traditional Japanese fishing method in which a large square dip net, suspended from four bamboo poles, is lowered into the water and raised by counterweighted levers operated by hand. Hasui likely renders the scene along a river or coastal inlet, with the geometric silhouette of the net frame dominating the composition against a sky rendered in graduated bokashi. The mechanical simplicity of the apparatus creates strong diagonal lines characteristic of Hasui's compositional rigor. Reflections of the net structure and surrounding landscape on the water surface would add visual depth. The print belongs to the meisho-e tradition of documenting regional landscapes and working practices, presenting a vernacular subject with the atmospheric sensitivity typical of shin-hanga printmaking under publisher Watanabe Shozaburo's supervision.