Matoba Beach at Takehara — 竹原的場

This print depicts Matoba Beach at Takehara (竹原的場), a coastal site in Hiroshima Prefecture on the Seto Inland Sea. Takehara, known for its preserved Edo-period merchant quarter and salt production heritage, offered Hasui a quiet Inland Sea shoreline distinct from his more frequently depicted Pacific or Japan Sea subjects. The composition likely features the calm, shallow waters characteristic of the Seto Inland Sea — a protected body of water with minimal wave action — with small fishing vessels, rocky shore elements, or distant pine-covered islets forming the middle and background registers. The Inland Sea's atmospheric quality, with its layered islands dissolving into haze, suited Hasui's technique of bokashi gradation in sky and water areas. Printed on oban washi through the Watanabe workshop's collaborative carver-printer process, this design extends Hasui's meisho-e survey of western Japan's coastal landscapes.