Ashinoko — 芦ノ湖

Lake Ashi (Ashinoko, 芦ノ湖) in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, is one of Japan's most celebrated scenic lakes, formed in a volcanic caldera with Mount Fuji rising to the northwest on clear days. This second Ashinoko print likely presents a distinct seasonal or atmospheric variant compared to its companion—perhaps an evening or autumn composition where the lake surface reflects a gradient sky, or a winter scene where Fuji appears above the far treeline in sharp relief. The lake's characteristic combination of pine-covered shoreline, traditional torii gates partially submerged at the water's edge, and the distant volcanic silhouette gave Hasui a composition of natural layering. The graduated bokashi technique was essential for rendering the lake's still surface and the atmospheric haze that frequently obscures or partially reveals Fuji. Printed in oban format on washi, the composition belongs to Hasui's large body of Hakone landscape work.