Lake side in Snow (Mt.Bandai)

Mt. Bandai rises over the lakes of central Fukushima, with Lake Inawashiro to its south and the smaller Goshiki-numa ponds spread across its northern flank, all transformed under deep winter snow. Ohtsu's composition likely places the mountain's distinctive silhouette in the upper register, with a foreground of snow-laden trees or a frozen lakeshore receding toward open water. The print continues his interest in the seasonal landscapes of northern Honshu, where heavy snow defines daily life for several months of the year. Snow scenes in mokuhanga are technically demanding: the unprinted [washi](/glossary/washi) itself stands in for snow, while the carver leaves narrow ridges that read as fence-posts, branches, or thatch breaking the white expanse. [Bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) gradations soften the transition between overcast sky and the mountain's volume, and a low-key palette of indigos, grays, and umber carries the cold air. Among Ohtsu's lakeside winter prints, the Bandai subjects share the contemplative quietness of his Tohoku village views, with the lake providing a reflective horizontal that anchors the mountain above.