Kinryuzan Temple at Asakusa

A vermilion pillar at left and a huge lantern hanging from above show that the view is taken from inside the gate. Beyond them a snowy approach stretches ahead, with worshippers carrying umbrellas coming and going. In the distance the snow-laden Niomon gate rises, and the five-story pagoda stands at the right.

The black characters on the lantern, the vermilion pillar, and the white of the snow resonate strongly. The falling snow is expressed with tiny white dots, and the vermilion of the gate and pagoda stands out against the white scene. Letting a distant view peep out between large foreground objects is a composition typical of this series.

Kinryuzan is the mountain name of Sensoji. The print was published shortly after repairs to the five-story pagoda, damaged in the earthquake of 1855 (Ansei 2), were completed, and it is thought to commemorate that restoration. As Edo's foremost Kannon sanctuary, the temple's approach was crowded with worshippers all year round.

This is the first print of the winter section. Its title uses the temple's mountain name, "Kinryuzan," echoing the spring print "Distant View of Azuma Bridge and Kinryuzan Temple." Fine impressions survive in museums abroad, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. With its vivid contrast of white snow and vermilion, it is a fitting opening for the winter section.