Jakuro in Hakkoda

The Hakkoda Mountains in Aomori Prefecture in the far north of Honshu are associated with extreme winter conditions, heavy snowfall, and the celebrated juhyo — ice-encrusted trees formed when sub-zero winds coat branches in successive layers of frost and snow. Jakuro, likely a specific peak or forest area within the Hakkoda range, would have offered Hasui material for a deeply wintry composition: dense stands of snow-laden conifers under a pale sky, with the muffled tonal range that characterizes his snow scenes. Hasui's northern landscape prints often eliminate warm color almost entirely, building atmosphere through white paper reserve and closely valued blues and grey-blues. The Hakkoda range's association with a famous 1902 military disaster may have given the location additional resonance for early twentieth-century viewers.