Lake Kizaki - Shinshu

Lake Kizaki (Kizaki-ko) lies in the Azumino valley of Nagano Prefecture, historically known as Shinshu, and is the southernmost of the Nishina Sanshu lakes. Surrounded by farmland and forested slopes ascending toward the Northern Japan Alps, it attracted visitors traveling through Azumino toward the alpine interior. This print, the third catalogued variant of Hasui's Kizaki subject, likely differs from companion versions in its seasonal treatment or compositional vantage point. The numeral designation indicates Hasui returned to the lake multiple times, refining his depiction of its distinctive alpine backdrop. The composition may employ a low horizon to maximize sky area and mountain reflection, with perhaps a small boat or farmhouse anchoring the foreground shallows. Shinshu subjects in Hasui's catalogue often feature the cold, clear atmospheric light of inland mountain regions rendered in cool blues and muted gold tones, distinct from the warmer coastal palette of his Pacific-side landscape prints.