Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series: Gozanoishi Shrine at Lake Tazawa (Tabi miyage dai sanshu: Tazawako Gozanoishi)

Lake Tazawa in Akita Prefecture is the deepest lake in Japan, and Gozanoishi Shrine sits on its eastern shore, its torii gate and shrine buildings framed by the lake's deep blue expanse and the surrounding mountains of the Ou range. Hasui's composition likely positions the torii gate in the foreground or middle ground, drawing the eye through the shrine precincts toward the open lake surface. The high altitude and northern latitude of Tazawa give the water an intense color—a deep cold blue distinct from the warmer tones of central Honshu lake subjects. The Tabi miyage dai sanshu series sent Hasui to Tohoku, a region with a colder aesthetic register, and this print reflects that: forested shores, clear mountain air, and the austere architecture of a Shinto shrine adapted to a remote highland environment. Color registration in the lake surface required careful gradation printing to convey depth.