Autumn in Koshiji

Koshiji designates the old inland road through the Hokuriku region, running through present-day Niigata Prefecture along routes once used by travelers crossing the mountains between the Japan Sea coast and the interior. An autumn print of this region likely depicts a rural village lane, paddy fields after harvest, or a forested hillside with deciduous color, rendered in the restrained palette Hasui favored for inland prefectural subjects. The Koshiji area offered Hasui a departure from the more frequently depicted coastal and urban subjects of the Kanto region, and he treated its quiet agricultural landscapes with the same tonal discipline he applied to temple precincts and lakeshores. Deep bokashi in the sky passage and carefully keyed foliage blocks characterize this type of composition. The print may relate to studies made during one of the travel journeys Hasui undertook to supply designs for Watanabe Shozaburo's publication program.