Gihachiro Okuyama’s circa 1960-70s woodblock print “青木湖 (Lake Aoki)” depicts a small shrine perched on the snow-covered shore of Nagano’s Lake Aoki. Snow blankets the shrine’s steeply pitched roof and the surrounding ground, while the lake’s placid surface meets the distant, softly contoured mountains under a pale winter sky. ❄️🏞️
- Year & Edition: circa 1960-70s · Pencil-signed, self-printed (奥山儀八郎自摺), artist seal lower left of image.
- Medium: Woodblock.
- Dimensions: Sheet H: 24.00 cm × W: 48.00 cm.
- Condition: Excellent given age; marginal light fox spotting to margins; paper clean & intact.
- Notes: Lake Aoki - one of Nagano’s famed “Three Lakes of Nishina” - is celebrated year-round for its crystalline waters reflecting the Hakuba range, its fiery autumn foliage, and winter’s pristine snows. Here, Okuyama captures the moment when a light snowfall softens the shrine’s architectural lines, emphasizing the serene balance between nature and human presence. Popular with photographers and visitors alike, this spot offers kayaking in summer and magical firefly cruises in early summer, making it a beloved retreat in the Japanese Alps.
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