Tsuta hot Spring, Mitsu Province, from

Tsuta Onsen in Aomori Prefecture—part of the historical Mutsu Province rather than Mitsu Province, a cataloging variant possibly reflecting a romanization discrepancy—is one of Japan's oldest hot spring inns, established according to tradition in the Heian period. Hasui visited the area during sketching trips to the Tohoku region and returned to the subject across multiple series contexts. This print likely depicts the low timber buildings of the hot spring inn set within a surrounding beech and birch forest, possibly with steam rising from the bath-house eaves or with snow accumulated on mossy rooftops. The dense vegetation of the Tsuta Onsen setting creates a characteristic enclosure that Hasui could render through layered planes of foliage, with warm lantern-lit building tones contrasting against the cool blues and greens of the forest interior. The compositional intimacy of the hot spring inn subject distinguishes it from Hasui's more expansive coastal or mountain landscapes.