Lake Itako

Itako lies in southern Ibaraki Prefecture, at the meeting of the Tone and Hitachi-Tone river systems, and is known for its network of canals, the Kitaura and Kasumigaura lakes, and the iris fields that draw seasonal visitors. A [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) view of the lake would typically emphasize the low, water-bound horizon characteristic of the region, organized into broad horizontal bands of water, reed bank, and sky, often with a small craft or bridge to anchor the composition. [Bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) is used in such prints to grade the water surface and the distance, and the visible woodgrain of larger blocks contributes texture rather than detail. The subject sits outside Henmi's Tokyo work and aligns more closely with the contemplative water imagery he pursued through to the 1942 album Sui In Fu (Rhymes and Musical Notes of Water), in which lakes, rivers, and rain are treated as occasions for poetic observation rather than topographic record.