Agatsuma Gorge

Agatsuma Gorge in Gunma Prefecture provided Hasui with one of his most structurally dramatic subjects: sheer volcanic walls dropping to the white-capped Agatsuma River below. This composition likely positions the viewer at the gorge rim or on a narrow path cut into the rock face, framing the scene with the vertical rhythm of the canyon sides. Hasui's treatment of moving water—rendered through parallel brushstroke-derived woodblock cuts and white reserve areas left unprinted—conveys the force of the current without sacrificing the decorative flatness central to the shin-hanga aesthetic. The surrounding vegetation, whether the rust and gold of autumn or the dense green of summer, would be applied through careful baren rubbing across multiple color blocks. Publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō's close collaboration with Hasui ensured that the inherent challenges of representing textured rock surfaces were met through fine-grained keyblock carving and controlled pigment application on dampened washi.