Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto

Kiyomizu-dera appears frequently in Hasui's landscape output as an emblem of Kyoto's cultural identity and a site that rewarded revisiting across seasons. This print likely presents the temple complex from one of several characteristic vantage points: looking up toward the main hall from the stone-paved Sannen-zaka approach, or viewing the wooden stage in profile against the Higashiyama hills. The temple's distinctive architectural elements — its sweeping irimoya roof, the jutting stage platform, and the Otowa waterfall below — provided Hasui with strong structural elements to anchor the composition. The surrounding cedar and maple forest created graduated color fields that suited the shin-hanga technique of printing broad areas of modulated tone. The washi paper's receptive surface absorbed the water-based inks to produce the soft, luminous quality characteristic of this format.