Snow at Koshigaya (Koshigaya no yuki)

Bearing the Japanese title Koshigaya no yuki, this print formalizes Hasui's depiction of the Saitama post-town under winter snowfall as part of a named series. The composition likely centers on traditional vernacular architecture—thatched or tiled roofs buried under snow, a narrow street or waterway receding into a gray middle distance. Hasui's treatment of provincial winter scenes characteristically suppresses human activity, allowing the geometry of rooftops and the undifferentiated white of snow-covered ground to carry the mood. Watanabe's printing workshops applied fine bokashi gradations to the sky area, producing the soft tonal transitions that distinguish shin-hanga from the flatter colouring of earlier commercial ukiyo-e. The oban format suits the horizontal sweep of a low-lying inland town.