Snow at Zojoji Temple — 増上寺の雪

Bearing the Japanese subtitle 増上寺の雪 (Zojoji no Yuki, 'Snow at Zojoji'), this print is from a specifically titled composition in Hasui's meisho-e output. The Japanese title indicates a deliberate series entry rather than an incidental subject. Zojoji's Sangedatsumon frames the composition, its gabled roofline carrying the weight of a fresh snowfall rendered in unprinted washi with delicate grey shading along the underside of eaves. Hasui studied the site across seasons, and his winter views emphasize the contrast between the gate's massive timber scale and the silence of an empty, snow-covered precinct. The bokashi gradation in the sky shifts from a cold blue-white at the horizon upward to a deeper grey, conveying overcast winter light rather than clear cold. Subtle registration marks align the key block's fine architectural line work with the color blocks, a technical demand that Hasui's long-term collaboration with Watanabe's workshop printers consistently met at high precision.