Minatogawa Shrine, Kobe — 湊川神社

Minatogawa Shrine in Kobe was established in 1872 on the site where Kusunoki Masashige fell in battle in 1336 and is dedicated to his memory as a model of samurai loyalty. Hasui's primary composition of the shrine likely depicts the main approach with its large stone torii and formal plantings, or the main hall under a particular seasonal light. The Kobe location places this print within Hasui's western Japan travel subjects, distinct in atmosphere from his more familiar Tokyo and Tohoku meisho-e. The shrine's grounds, unusual in combining a Shinto precinct with strong martial historical associations, would have given Hasui an opportunity to work with the stone architecture and mature trees that appear throughout his landscape vocabulary.