Nakayamahichiri in Hida district

Nakayamahichiri refers to a section of old mountain road—hichiri indicating a unit of distance—through the Hida region, the rugged highland district of what is now Gifu Prefecture. Hida's terrain of steep valleys, dense cedar forests, and historic post-road settlements provided Hasui with subjects well suited to his atmospheric treatment of light and weather. This print likely depicts a winding mountain path bordered by trees, possibly rendered under snow or mist, conditions Hasui repeatedly used to isolate and clarify form. The Hida district's association with traditional Japan—its preserved farmhouses and remote passes—lends the composition a contemplative quality. Hasui's handling of the multiple keyblock contours and overprinted color areas would have required precise registration from the block carvers and printers at the Watanabe workshop to capture the layered depth of forested hillsides.