In the Snow, Nakayama-Shichiri Road in Hida Province (Hida Nakayama-Shichiri), from the series "Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series (Tabi miyage dai sanshu)"

In the Snow, Nakayama-Shichiri Road in Hida Province is one of Kawase Hasui's most dramatic depictions of winter travel through Japan's mountainous interior. Created in 1924 as part of his "Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series" published by Watanabe Shozaburo, the print shows a solitary traveler making their way along a snow-covered mountain road in what is now Gifu Prefecture. Deep snow blankets the landscape, weighing down the branches of trees lining the path, while the road stretches ahead through a narrow passage between snow-laden slopes. The scene evokes the isolation and physical challenge of winter travel in pre-modern Japan.

The Nakayama-Shichiri road — literally "seven ri of Nakayama," indicating a distance of approximately twenty-eight kilometers — was a notoriously difficult mountain passage connecting the towns of Takayama and Toyama in the mountainous Hida region. Hasui traveled through this area during one of his extensive sketching trips and was clearly moved by the stark beauty of the snow-bound landscape. The composition emphasizes the depth of the snowpack and the smallness of the human figure against the overwhelming natural environment, themes that connect this print to the long tradition of winter travel scenes in East Asian art.

The printing achieves remarkable effects in its rendering of snow. Multiple shades of white and gray distinguish between fresh powder, compacted snow on the road surface, and the heavy accumulations weighing down tree branches. The atmospheric perspective — with background elements fading into a pale, snow-filled sky — creates a convincing sense of depth and cold. This print is frequently cited as one of Hasui's finest snow scenes, rivaling even the famous Snow at Zojoji Temple for its emotional impact. It captures a Japan of remote mountain villages and difficult passages that was already disappearing in Hasui's time, giving the print both artistic and documentary significance.