A Nocturnal Fuji, Lake Ashino

Among the several known versions of Hasui's Lake Ashinoko and Fuji nocturne, this second variant likely reflects differences in pigment saturation or block state. The subject was commercially successful and editorially reissued, making close comparison of impressions instructive for dating prints within Hasui's output. Nocturnal Fuji compositions from Hakone typically feature a dark sky with one or two light passages — moonlight on water, lantern light from a shrine — that provide luminous contrast against the surrounding darkness. The reflection of Fuji in the lake creates a vertical axis organizing the composition, while horizontal bands of water, shoreline, and sky establish spatial recession. Watanabe's printers achieved the deep, even indigo fields in these prints through repeated careful impressions on dampened washi.