Snow at Nezu-Gongen Shrine

A woodblock print showing the Nezu Gongen Shrine in Tokyo's Bunkyo ward under heavy snowfall, this impression represents one of several editions Hasui made of this composition. The shrine's torii tunnel and curved rooftops would be rendered in careful gradation, snow accumulating on the horizontal surfaces of lintels, gate crossbeams, and stone lantern caps. The vermilion of the shrine architecture provided a controlled warm accent within an otherwise cool palette of white, gray, and blue-black. Hasui frequently revisited this subject, producing impressions that vary in atmospheric density and tonal depth depending on the printing period and the skill of the baren-press craftsmen at the Watanabe workshop. The composition reflects the shin-hanga commitment to capturing seasonal mood — here, the quiet stillness of a snow-silenced urban shrine precinct.