About the Artwork
Inokashira in Snow is a Japanese woodblock print by Kawase Hasui, produced in the early twentieth century as part of the shin-hanga movement. Set in Inokashira Park, a landscaped retreat on the western edge of Tokyo, the work captures a familiar public space rendered hushed and introspective by winter snowfall.
The composition is defined by quiet recession. Snow blankets the park’s paths, trees, and water’s edge, softening depth and dissolving boundaries between land, sky, and reflection. Hasui employs a restrained palette of greys, pale blues, and muted whites, allowing subtle tonal shifts to suggest distance and cold air rather than dramatic contrast. Any human presence is absent, leaving the landscape to speak on its own terms.
Snow functions here as both subject and atmosphere. It absorbs sound, slows movement, and flattens time, transforming the park from a site of leisure into a space of contemplation. Hasui’s handling of winter avoids spectacle; instead, he privileges stillness, allowing the scene to feel momentary and fragile, as though it might vanish with the first change in weather.
Today, Inokashira in Snow resonates as a meditation on retreat within the modern city. In an environment shaped by constant motion and visibility, the piece offers a vision of withdrawal and quiet presence. Its enduring power lies in its restraint - reminding viewers that the most intimate encounters with place often occur not in moments of activity, but in pause.
About the Artist
