Akan National Park — 国立阿寒

A second variant of Hasui's Akan National Park design, this print captures the same volcanic lake district in eastern Hokkaido but likely in a distinct printing run with observable differences in colorimetry or compositional cropping. Akan's scenery—caldera lakes, birch forests, geothermal steam, and the symmetrical profile of dormant volcanoes—provided Hasui with an unusual northern subject that appealed both to Japanese tourists following the expansion of Hokkaido rail access and to Western collectors drawn to the park's otherworldly terrain. The relatively sparse human presence typical of Hokkaido landscapes gave these compositions an open, expansive quality distinct from his crowded Tokyo townscapes or celebrated temple scenes. In this variant, subtle shifts in the lake's color register or the treatment of cloud formations may signal a later printing from reworked or re-carved blocks, a common practice among Watanabe's workshop as popular designs were reprinted across decades to meet continued demand.