Tochinoki Hot Springs

This second record of Hasui's Tochinoki Hot Springs subject likely represents a distinct impression or printing state rather than a separate composition. Within the Watanabe Shozaburo atelier's production system, the same woodblock set was periodically reprinted across decades, with variations in color saturation, sky gradation depth, and pigment formulation marking generational differences. Early impressions from Hasui's landscape series characteristically show richer indigo in the sky gradations and more saturated greens in foliage areas, while later reprints often exhibit softer, more diffuse tonalities. Comparison between this impression and the companion record would focus on the treatment of the sky bokashi, the density of ink in forested areas, and any differences in the warmth or coolness of architectural elements. Block wear, visible as softening of fine line detail in rooflines and timber joinery, also provides evidence for sequencing impressions within a single composition's print run.