Kanakei in Autumn

Kanakei is a gorge in Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, renowned for its dramatic autumn foliage when maple trees turn the steep valley walls into cascading layers of red, orange, and gold. This woodblock print captures the gorge at the height of its seasonal transformation. Koichi renders the narrow ravine with overlapping planes of color, the warm maples contrasting against exposed rock faces and the dark green of evergreen conifers that punctuate the deciduous canopy. The vertical depth of the gorge creates a natural compositional drama, with the viewer looking either down into the valley or across its breadth. Kanakei has been designated one of the finest autumn foliage sites in Japan, and Koichi's print preserves the specific character of this Shikoku landmark within the shin-hanga tradition.