Mountain Fog

Higashiyama first visited China in 1976 to create his second set of murals for the Mieidō Hall at Tōshōdai-ji Temple. To contrast the predominantly blue Japanese landscapes in his first set of murals, he chose to use black ink for the Chinese landscapes in his second set. This piece is thought to be one example of the work Higashiyama produced to perfect the challenging art of ink wash painting, or suiboku-ga, in the ten years it took to complete the murals. Using light brushstrokes, Higashiyama achieved the dark pine forest in the foreground, and by further diluting the ink, gave it the appearance of fading away.