Snowstorm at Mukojima — Yuki no Mukojima

This is one of several recorded editions of Hasui's Mukojima snowstorm composition, depicting the eastern Sumida riverbank district of Tokyo under turbulent winter conditions. Hasui and publisher Watanabe Shozaburo reprinted popular designs across multiple production runs, with later editions sometimes showing variations in pigment saturation, paper weight, and the density of the snow overprinting. The Mukojima scene captures the flat, low terrain of the shitamachi working-class districts, where wooden structures and riverside paths were particularly exposed to wind-driven snow. In composition, Hasui typically employed a low horizon to maximize the sky's expressive role, filling the upper register with the grey-white of storm clouds worked in graduated bokashi. Comparing this edition against others in the series reveals the cumulative decisions made during printing — in pigment layering, the pressure of the baren, and the moisture content of the washi — that distinguish one impression from another.