Evening Rain at Kawarago (Kawarago no yau)

Kawarago no yau depicts the village of Kawarago in Chiba Prefecture under an evening rain, a subject Hasui visited as part of his extensive travels through rural Japan documenting regional landscapes. The composition likely features low farmhouses or agricultural structures silhouetted against a wet evening sky, with a foreground of rice paddies or shallow water reflecting the fading light. Hasui's rural landscapes in rain typically emphasize the melancholy quietude of working settlements rather than picturesque tourist sites, aligning with the shin-hanga movement's interest in preserving images of Japan undergoing rapid modernization. The Japanese title transcription using the older romanization form yau rather than yū reflects period orthographic conventions. Published by Kawaguchi, this print is part of Hasui's documented travel-sketch series.