Beppu in the Morning, Oita

A second printing state of Hasui's Beppu morning composition, depicting the hot spring town's harbor at dawn with geothermal steam rising from the hillside vents across the bay. Comparison with other states of this subject reveals subtle shifts in the color values of the sky bokashi and the rendering of water reflections, as successive print runs from the carved woodblocks resulted in natural variation in ink density and pigment tone. The scene captures Beppu at a moment of atmospheric stillness before daily activity begins, with boats moored in the foreground and layered hillside architecture visible through the morning mist. This print was likely produced in the context of Hasui's regional travel prints documenting notable landscapes throughout Japan.