Lake Kizaki, Shinshu (Shinshu Kizakiko)

Kawase Hasui

Lake Kizaki is one of three Ninashi lakes in the mountains north of Ota in present day Nagano prefecture, near Omachi. This image depicts the calm waters of the lake, adjoining fields and farms. There are numerous lakeside attractions surround the lake, with the locale being a popular lakeside resort.

As Hausui often did with his compositions, a single figure with an umbrella walks through the grass beyond a small village, creating a human scale to the vast landscape. The artist used a subtle Bokashi printing throughout the landscape to transition from one plane to another.

Nagano Prefecture has impressive mountainous areas, including most of the Kita-Alps, Chuo-Alps, and Minami-Alps, which extend into the neighbouring prefectures. Due to the abundance of mountain ranges in this area, the land available for inhabiting is relatively limited. In addition to its natural scenic beauty and rich history, Nagano was host to the 1998 Winter Olympics.