Snow at Hie Shrine – Kawase Hasui Print (1931)

New Year's Day under the snow

Heavy snow blankets the grounds of Hie Shrine in Tokyo. Two women make their way toward the inner precincts, small dark figures in a hushed, white world where every roof and branch bends under the weight of the flakes. Kawase Hasui dated this design New Year's Day 1931, and the whole scene carries the quiet promise of a fresh beginning.

Hie Shrine, a sanctuary in the heart of Tokyo

Standing in the centre of the capital, Hie Shrine has been venerated for centuries as a protector of the city. It is the home of the Sannō Festival, one of Tokyo's great traditional celebrations. In the Japanese title, Shatō no yuki ("snow at the shrine"), Hasui puts the weather first and the place second: the true subject of the print is the snow itself, and the silence it brings.

A master of winter scenes

Kawase Hasui (1883–1957), the leading landscape artist of the shin-hanga movement, is above all remembered for his snow scenes. Published by Watanabe Shōzaburō, this design proved so popular that it was printed again and again during Hasui's lifetime, including after the Second World War. Here he uses a restrained palette of whites, greys and deep blues, with just a few warmer touches to bring the figures to life.

Why it works so well on a wall

Calm, luminous and deeply peaceful, Snow at Hie Shrine brings a feeling of stillness to a bedroom, a reading corner or a hallway. Its cool tones pair beautifully with light wood, linen and white walls, in a Japandi or Scandinavian interior. Frame it in natural oak for warmth, or in thin black for a crisper look.

• Artist: Kawase Hasui (1883–1957)
• Japanese title: Shatō no yuki (Hie jinja)
• Date: 1931 (dated New Year's Day)
• Publisher: Watanabe Shōzaburō, Tokyo
• Original: color woodblock print, vertical ōban format
• Our print: high-quality reproduction on museum-grade matte paper (not an original woodblock print)

Love Hasui's winter scenes? Discover another snowy temple, Tennoji Temple in Osaka, learn more about Kawase Hasui, or explore our full Kawase Hasui prints collection.