March — 弥生月

This print depicting the third month of the lunar calendar likely draws on the seasonal imagery associated with late winter transitioning to early spring in the Japanese calendar tradition. Kiyochika's atmospheric treatment would characterize the scene with the diffuse, hazy light typical of early spring—the kind of soft luminosity he achieved through careful bokashi gradation on washi. The title references the old lunar designation 'yayoi,' evoking classical poetic associations with plum blossoms or early cherry buds. Within Kiyochika's broader practice, seasonal subjects allowed him to explore the quality of natural light at specific times of year, contrasting the documentary impulse of his urban kosen-ga views with a more lyrical, introspective mode.