Kegon Waterfall at Nikkô (Nikkô Kegon no taki)

This print, titled in Japanese Nikkô Kegon no taki, is a formally published version of Hasui's Kegon Falls composition with the romanized and Japanese title in tandem, suggesting a documented edition produced for a specific series or catalogue offering. The falls descend from the outlet channel of Chuzenji-ko, the crater lake formed by volcanic activity on the Nantai plateau. Hasui's approach to this vertical subject required careful compositional balance: the narrow water column must hold visual weight against the broad cliff faces and surrounding vegetation. The mist at the falls' base dissolves into the gorge below through layered bokashi printing. Color gradation across the sky — from deep blue or indigo at the top of the oban sheet to a lighter band near the horizon of the gorge — gives the composition its sense of depth. The carved blocks for such a print would require fine detail work in the cliff texture and fine-line carving for the water's individual streams.