The Sambutsudo Temple in Spring

The Sambutsudo (Hall of Three Buddhas) at Rinnoji temple in Nikkō houses three monumental gilt wooden sculptures and ranks among the most significant Buddhist structures in the Nikkō shrine-temple complex. A spring composition would conventionally position cherry blossoms in the foreground or along the hall's perimeter, their pale pink clusters contrasting with the red-lacquered columns and dark copper-tiled roof. The "-2" designation in this slug indicates a variant composition or later edition differing in cropping, seasonal emphasis, or color register from the companion print. Kotozuka's treatment would reflect the [shin-hanga](/glossary/shin-hanga) interest in atmospheric seasonal transformation, using layered color blocks and selective [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) to dissolve architectural forms into surrounding bloom. The Sambutsudo's broad, deep-eaved roofline offers a strong horizontal element against which vertical trunks and cascading cherry branches could be organized—a structural contrast well-suited to woodblock's capacity for clean tonal separation between architectural and botanical forms.