Yakushiji Temple, Nara

Yakushi-ji's East Pagoda (Tōtō) dominates this composition, its alternating large and small roof forms—each tier paired with a mokoshi—creating the rhythmic silhouette that has made this structure one of the most reproduced subjects in Japanese architectural imagery. Hasui likely depicted the pagoda against a clear or lightly overcast sky, with foreground elements of the temple garden providing depth and seasonal context. Printing such architectural complexity required precise key-block carving to capture the overlapping roof brackets and corner upturns characteristic of Nara-period Buddhist architecture. Color blocks added the weathered cypress-bark and tile tones of the pagoda's roofs against sky and ground. The print belongs to Hasui's series of Nara landscapes produced across multiple visits to Japan's ancient former capital.