Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series: Kozu in Osaka (blue version) (Tabi miyage dai sanshu: Osaka, Kozu)

Kozu is a district in Osaka's Chuo Ward, and this print's designation as a 'blue version' indicates it is a color variant of a composition also produced in a different palette—a practice that occurred within the Tabi miyage series when publishers issued alternate printings with modified pigment choices. The blue version likely renders sky, water, and architectural shadow with cooler, more saturated blue tones than the companion state. Osaka's Kozu area in the Taisho period retained a network of urban waterways, and Hasui's view may center on a canal or riverside scene with bridges, boat traffic, and merchant buildings. The deliberate production of variant color states allowed publishers to test market preferences and extend the commercial life of a single set of woodblocks. The shift in overall color temperature between versions—one warmer, one cooler—illustrates how significantly the choice of pigment could alter the mood and legibility of a shin-hanga composition without altering the composition itself.