Okayama Castle (Okayama-jô), from the series Selected Views of Japan (Nihon fûkei senshû)

This print from the series Selected Views of Japan depicts Okayama Castle, known as Ujo or Crow Castle for its striking black-lacquered exterior. Hasui likely rendered the tenshu tower rising above stone ramparts, with its dark wooden weatherboards contrasting against a pale sky or moonlit water. The castle sits beside the Asahi River, and the composition may incorporate reflections on the river's surface, a device Hasui used frequently to extend vertical mass into the lower picture plane. The multi-tiered roofline with its characteristic upswept eaves and gilded ornaments would have offered Hasui strong architectural geometry to anchor the design. In the Selected Views of Japan series, Hasui and publisher Doi Hangaten documented famous landmarks across the country, applying the same atmospheric sensitivity to castle architecture that he brought to rural landscapes. Subtle [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) gradations in the sky and water areas would have required careful registration across multiple blocks.