Shiobara Hot Springs

This print gives a broader view of Shiobara itself, the celebrated hot spring resort in the Nasu volcanic highlands of Tochigi Prefecture. Established as a spa destination since the Edo period, Shiobara attracted Meiji- and Taisho-era travelers by train from Tokyo, and its distinctive narrow gorge setting—steep forested walls descending to the Hoki River—was unusual among Japanese spa towns. Hasui may depict the main resort strip of ryokan (traditional inns) perched above the river, steam rising from the earth, or the gorge in its broader topographical context. The composition would reflect the confined verticality of the terrain. Published by Watanabe Shozaburo, the print belongs to Hasui's ongoing documentation of Japan's landscape destinations during the interwar period.