Otsu

Ōtsu, the capital of Shiga Prefecture, sits at the southwestern end of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest freshwater lake. This composition likely depicts the lakeshore, with Biwako's broad expanse providing the kind of horizontal water view that recurred across Hasui's work. The low hills of the eastern shore appear across the water, with traditional lake vessels or the rooflines of Ōtsu's waterfront buildings offering foreground interest and a sense of human scale. Lake Biwa subjects in shin-hanga printing allowed for extended sky and water areas suited to multi-step bokashi gradation. Ōtsu was also a historic post-town on the Tōkaidō road, and the composition may incorporate detail from the town's lakeshore district that reflects its dual identity as pilgrimage destination and commercial port.