Takao Shingoji Temple

A fourth print of Jingo-ji at Takao in Kotozuka's output underscores the importance of this mountain temple complex to his broader series on Kyoto sacred sites. Each version in a multi-print set of a single location typically varies the season, weather, or compositional frame — a closer view of the main hall, a wider prospect taking in the forested hillside, or an emphasis on the stone steps and moss-covered lanterns for which the approach path is known. The autumn foliage of Takao, among the most celebrated in the Kyoto region, would have demanded precise multi-block printing to achieve the full range of maple colors from deep crimson to golden yellow, layered over dark green cryptomeria and pale temple walls.