Mount Haruna in Kozuke Province

The foreground figures represent lay participants observing a purification rite conducted beneath a sacred cascade, a documented practice at the shrine. The composition juxtaposes everyday activity—women crossing the bridge—with the spiritual significance of the waterfall and the distant mountain, suggesting a transition from the mundane to the holy.

Executed in the ukiyo‑e woodblock tradition, the print employs contrasting colour blocks: bright kimono fabrics against a muted, mist‑filled landscape. The artist uses perspective to draw the eye from the detailed human scene toward the expansive, snow‑capped peak, creating depth through layered planes of bridge, water, and mountain.

Created during the Edo period (1615–1868), the print formed part of a triptych that originally displayed eight women and a child crossing the bridge before the panoramic view of the pilgrimage site. The surviving right-hand sheet is now held in several Japanese and Western collections, though the complete triptych is rarely exhibited together.

Mount Haruna was a renowned destination for pilgrims seeking spiritual merit, and the waterfall ritual was an integral element of the shrine’s observances. The print reflects the Edo‑era fascination with travel and religious tourism, documenting both the landscape and the customs associated with the site.