Karikatsu Valley

A third impression variant of Hasui's Karikatsu (Karikachi) Valley subject, this print records a view into the valley below the pass in central Hokkaido. The valley's broad agricultural floor and the surrounding mountain walls gave Hasui material for a composition with strong spatial recession. Variant impressions of Hasui valley subjects from Hokkaido are distinguished primarily by the sky treatment—the degree of bokashi gradation, the presence or absence of cloud forms—and by the rendering of the forested slopes. Later impressions from worn blocks often show softer transitions in gradient areas. The Watanabe publishing house issued multiple print runs of popular Hokkaido subjects in response to sustained collector demand. This variant's relationship to the other Karikatsu Valley impressions would be established through block condition analysis and paper type.