A Nocturnal Fuji, Lake Ashino

Lake Ashinoko in Hakone, with Mount Fuji visible across the water, was one of Hasui's most revisited subjects. This nocturnal composition places the volcano under darkness or moonlight, its iconic cone rendered in deep indigo or near-black against a subtly gradated sky. The lake's still surface would mirror both the mountain and the night sky, a compositional device Hasui used to create symmetrical depth and to double the visual weight of Fuji. Torii gates of the Hakone Shrine frequently appear partially submerged at the water's edge in compositions of this site. The print belongs to Hasui's extensive body of night and twilight landscapes in which the technical challenge of rendering darkness through woodblock — layering dark pigments on washi without muddiness — demonstrates the skill of the master carver and printer working under his direction.