Shiba Zozoji Temple

One of Hasui's most recognized compositions, this print shows the Sangedatsumon gate of Zojoji Temple in Shiba, Tokyo. A celebrated version from 1925 depicts the gate during heavy snowfall, with a lone pedestrian crossing below and the dark gate structure contrasting sharply against an expanse of white-covered ground. The snow is rendered with flat, unmodulated white pigment, while the sky above shifts through subtle bokashi gradations from pale gray to ivory. The gate's red-orange lacquered pillars provide the composition's single chromatic accent. The design belongs to Hasui's Showa period Tokyo snow series and was published by Watanabe Shozaburo. The deliberately spare composition — gate, snow, solitary figure — reflects the shin-hanga interest in melancholy urban atmosphere rather than topographic documentation.