Wakanoura

The second of Hasui's Wakanoura compositions, depicting the historically significant bay near Wakayama City on the Kii Peninsula. As an established meisho-e subject since the Edo period, Wakanoura carried poetic associations embedded in classical literature, and Hasui's multiple treatments of the site engage that tradition through the atmospheric naturalism of shin-hanga. The composition might feature the Sotomitsushima rock formation, the pine-covered promontory above the bay, or the Tamatsushima Shrine island reflected in tidal water. Tonal differences between this and other Wakanoura states likely arise from block re-cutting, variation in baren pressure during printing runs, or deliberate color adjustments by the Watanabe publishing house. The graduated sky and water passages in such compositions required damp washi and consistent artisan technique to maintain quality across a print run.