Night Scene at Sakurada Gate, Tokyo- V1

Sakurada Gate (Sakuradamon) is one of the surviving masugata gates of Edo Castle, its massive stone base and timber superstructure among the most recognizable historical structures in central Tokyo. This first version of Hasui's night scene likely positions the gate's stone rampart as a strong horizontal mass against a dark sky, with the moat water below providing a reflective foreground element. The nocturnal setting allowed Hasui to explore the contrast between the pale stonework and the surrounding darkness, using graduated bokashi on the sky block to suggest moonlight or lamplight diffusing through mist. Published within the shin-hanga framework, the print situates a feudal-era landmark within the modern city, a tension common in Hasui's Tokyo subjects. The gate gained particular historical association after the 1860 assassination of regent Ii Naosuke nearby.