Clearing Weather after Rain at Zenköji Temple in Kawaguchi

This print depicts Zenkōji Temple in Kawaguchi — a Jōdo-sect Buddhist temple serving communities north of Tokyo — under the muted luminosity of clearing rain. Kiyochika returned to this subject in multiple compositions, indicating both its popularity with buyers and its suitability for his atmospheric technique. The temple's wooded precincts, stone lanterns, and wooden halls offered contrasting textures through which to explore the interaction of diffuse natural light with architectural surfaces after precipitation. The Kawaguchi Zenkōji served as a local substitute pilgrimage site for the famous Nagano temple of the same name, giving the image spiritual as well as topographical resonance for Meiji-era viewers. The title's alternative romanization distinguishes this impression within the series.