Lake Kawaguchi

Lake Kawaguchi (Kawaguchi-ko), one of the Fuji Goko (Five Lakes of Fuji) in Yamanashi Prefecture, appears repeatedly in Hasui's work as a primary site for viewing Mount Fuji from the north. In this version, the composition likely positions the viewer along the lake's eastern or southern shore, with Mount Fuji's snow-capped cone rising above the far treeline and its reflection appearing in the relatively still water below. Hasui used the shin-hanga collaborative process to achieve the fine gradations across sky and water surface that distinguish these Fuji lake compositions from earlier Meiji-era landscape prints. The pine-covered foreground shore establishes a dark vertical mass at one edge, guiding the eye toward the mountain's central position. Bokashi passages shift the sky tone from deeper blue above to pale near the horizon, while the mountain receives carefully registered white and grey blocks for its snowy upper flanks. This print belongs to a body of Kawaguchi-ko compositions Hasui produced across different series and publication campaigns, each varying in season, light condition, and shoreline vantage point.