Kozu, Osaka

This version of Hasui's Kozu, Osaka design is part of a group of impressions derived from the same woodblock set. Minor variations between impressions of the same shin-hanga design—atmospheric color, background sky tone, the depth of bokashi gradation—were inherent to hand-printing and occasionally reflected deliberate adjustments by the Watanabe workshop between print runs. The Kozu neighborhood of Osaka encompasses the grounds of Kozu Shrine, which dates to the sixth century, as well as surrounding commercial and residential streets that characterized Osaka's merchant culture during the Edo and Meiji periods. Hasui's treatment of Osaka subjects tends toward quiet, contemplative compositions—a canal at dusk, a shrine precinct in rain or overcast light—rather than the bustling commercial activity the city was known for. Successive woodblock passes deposited color in layers, with the key block providing the defining outlines and tonal structure that unified each finished impression.