Misty Morning at Yotsuya Mitsuke (Kiri no asa [Yotsuya Mitsuke])

This print depicts the same Yotsuya Mitsuke locale as several related compositions but employs the term kiri — dense, low-lying fog — rather than kasumi, signaling a heavier atmospheric condition and likely a different seasonal or meteorological moment. The Yotsuya Mitsuke area, where a former Edo-period checkpoint once stood beside the moat of Edo Castle, provided Hasui with a characteristic combination of water, masonry, and vegetation. The kiri treatment implies a more opaque veil over the scene, with stone walls and arching willows emerging only partially from the mist. Hasui's printer would have used careful bokashi gradation across multiple impression passes to achieve the tonal softness that distinguishes kiri from clear-weather scenes. The subdued palette — grays, pale greens, and off-whites — and the quiet, unpeopled composition reflect the contemplative mood central to his meisho-e tradition of landmark depictions.