Byodo-In Temple — 平等院鳳凰堂

This print depicts the Byodo-in's Phoenix Hall (Hoo-do) in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, one of Japan's most celebrated examples of Heian-period Buddhist architecture completed in 1053. Hasui returned to this subject multiple times across his career, each version exploring different atmospheric conditions. This composition likely renders the hall's distinctive symmetrical wings and central tower reflected in the Aji Pond that surrounds the structure. The shin-hanga printing process enabled Hasui and publisher Watanabe Shozaburo's carvers and printers to render the graduated water reflections using bokashi gradation, blending the architectural forms into the pond's surface. Seasonal cues — flowering lotus, bare branches, or autumn foliage on the surrounding hillside — would have distinguished this impression from related versions. The oban format suits the horizontal spread of the Phoenix Hall's elevation.