Edo period En-no-Ozunu (En-no-Gyouja) was an ascetic and a mystic. He was a figure actually existed and originated the Shugendou, a syncretic religion during the Asuka and the Nara period. The images and characters of him were created in the later period by the followers who compiled his legend and there are many places including Mt. Fuji and Enoshima Island were being told as the holy places where En-no-Gyouja carried out the training. In this picture a couple demons Zenki, a husband and Goki, a wife are illustrated in the front. It is said that En-no-Gyoja possessed a very strong mystic power that he can even make the demon gods work for him.

Toyohara Kunichika and Utagawa Hiroshige III The production date: 1867 (Keiou 3) This work is from a series that illustrated the post stations with the portraits of kabuki actors that related to the post stations. “Hito-me Sen-ryou” indicates that the one glance values to a thousand ryou (Ryou is monetary unit of Edo period. A thousand ryou is worth today’s a hundred million yen.). The background was illustrated by Hiroshige III and the figure in front was illustrated by Kunichika. The figure illustrated is a character Benten Kozou Kikunosuke from the kabuki play “Aoto-Zoushi Hana no Nishiki-e(The Glorious Picture Book of Aoto’s Exploits)”, or more familiar title “Shiranami Gonin Otoko” (“Shiranami Five Thieves”) and he had a connection with Enoshima Island. The actor who played Benten Kozou was Ichimura Kakitsu IV (He later changed his name to Onoe Kikugorou V).

Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige Production date: 1851 (Kaei 4) Shinagawa, from the series Famous Places of the Toukaidou In this picture, a view of a famous cherry-blossom viewing place Goten-yama is illustrated. It is told that the cherry trees were planted from Kanbun era (1661-73) at Goten-yama and by the late Edo period, there were 600 cherry-blossom trees. Scenes such as the people enjoying party under cherry-blossom in full bloom and a young waitress from teahouse accosting the customers are illustrated. The lively atmosphere of cherry-blossom viewing season is illustrated. This is an e-baisho (anthology of the seventeen syllables Japanese haiku poems with related pictures) that a variety of poems written by the notable contemporary poets from the haikai poetry circles are allotted with the pictures of famous places of the Toukaidou, as a hokku-shu (anthology hokku or haiku poems ) appears in pictures. This series was the changed title version of “Toukaidou Meisho Hokku-shu (The Hokku-shu of Famous Places of the Toukaidou)”, published by Eiraku-ya Jousuke in 1851, and originally the format of this picture was hanpon or book style. However when this version was made, the landscapes of Edo to Izu were re-edited as a gajou (folded picture book) format, thus the readers can appreciate each landscape as the independent picture. When Hiroshige produced this work, he was also commissioned to paint nikuhitsu-ga (paintings) from Tendou clan. Therefore the expressions such as the composition with natural dimension and bluish pale touch of the color in this series are influenced from the painting expressions.

Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige Production date: 1851 (Kaei 4) Kanagawa and Hodogaya, from the series Famous Places of the Toukaidou The third and fourth post stations of the Toukaidou Highway, Kanagawa (Irregular kanji characters were used for Kanagawa) and Hodogaya are illustrated but separated by the mist illustrated between the stations. On the right below at the Kanagawa station, there is a notation of Asamasha indicates the Asama Shrine, and this place was flourished as a rest spot between the post stations. The right next to the notation, “Hito-Ana”(cave) is illustrated. Today’s research proves that the horizontal cave was an ancient tomb of a power holder but during the Edo period, it was connected with the Fuji-Shinkou (Worship of Mt. Fuji) and people believed that this cave is connected to Mt. Fuji through the underground tunnel. This is an e-baisho (anthology of the seventeen syllables Japanese haiku poems with related pictures) that a variety of poems written by the notable contemporary poets from the haikai poetry circles are allotted with the pictures of famous places of the Toukaidou, as a hokku-shu (anthology hokku or haiku poems ) appears in pictures. This series was the changed title version of “Toukaidou Meisho Hokku-shu (The Hokku-shu of Famous Places of the Toukaidou)”, published by Eiraku-ya Jousuke in 1851, and originally the format of this picture was hanpon or book style. However when this version was made, the landscapes of Edo to Izu were re-edited as a gajou (folded picture book) format, thus the readers can appreciate each landscape as the independent picture. When Hiroshige produced this work, he was also commissioned to paint nikuhitsu-ga (paintings) from Tendou clan. Therefore the expressions such as the composition with natural dimension and bluish pale touch of the color in this series are influenced from the painting expressions.

Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige Production date: 1851 (Kaei 4) “Even a person free of passion would be moved to sadness: autumn evening in a marsh where snipe fly up” by Saigyou In this picture the landscape of Shigitachi-zawa (Shigitachi-zawa means a stream where snipes fly up.) of Oiso is illustrated. This place has a connection with a famous monk and poet, Saigyo from the Heian period. During the early Edo period, the Shigitatsu-an, a haikai poetry school was opened at this land and attracted many haiku poets. The indication “Saigyou-an” at the lower right is considered as the En’i-dou (En’i is Saigyou’s holy name), where Saigyou’s sitting statue is located. This is an e-baisho (anthology of the seventeen syllables Japanese haiku poems with related pictures) that a variety of poems written by the notable contemporary poets from the haikai poetry circles are allotted with the pictures of famous places of the Toukaidou, as a hokku-shu (anthology hokku or haiku poems ) appears in pictures. This series was the changed title version of “Toukaidou Meisho Hokku-shu (The Hokku-shu of Famous Places of the Toukaidou)”, published by Eiraku-ya Jousuke in 1851, and originally the format of this picture was hanpon or book style. However when this version was made, the landscapes of Edo to Izu were re-edited as a gajou (folded picture book) format, thus the readers can appreciate each landscape as the independent picture. When Hiroshige produced this work, he was also commissioned to paint nikuhitsu-ga (paintings) from Tendou clan. Therefore the expressions such as the composition with natural dimension and bluish pale touch of the color in this series are influenced from the painting expressions.

Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige Production date: 1851 (Kaei 4) Oiso and Hiratsuka, from the series Famous Places of the Toukaidou In this picture, the landscape from the Hiratsuka post station to the Oiso post station is illustrated. The “Morokoshi-ga-hara” (Today’s “Tou-ga-hara”) is illustrated at the lower right of the picture. It is said, a group of people from Korean Peninsula moved into this place during 5th century. The mountain illustrated at the right upper part is Kouraiji-san (Mt. Kourai Temple) and its name came from the temple that enshrines Koma-no-Jakkou who came to Japan from an ancient kingdom of Korean Peninsula, Koukuri. At the upper left side from the mountain, there is the land that extends to the Oiso post station and Shigitachi-zawa. This is an e-baisho (anthology of the seventeen syllables Japanese haiku poems with related pictures) that a variety of poems written by the notable contemporary poets from the haikai poetry circles are allotted with the pictures of famous places of the Toukaidou, as a hokku-shu (anthology hokku or haiku poems ) appears in pictures. This series was the changed title version of “Toukaidou Meisho Hokku-shu (The Hokku-shu of Famous Places of the Toukaidou)”, published by Eiraku-ya Jousuke in 1851, and originally the format of this picture was hanpon or book style. However when this version was made, the landscapes of Edo to Izu were re-edited as a gajou (folded picture book) format, thus the readers can appreciate each landscape as the independent picture. When Hiroshige produced this work, he was also commissioned to paint nikuhitsu-ga (paintings) from Tendou clan. Therefore the expressions such as the composition with natural dimension and bluish pale touch of the color in this series are influenced from the painting expressions.

Artist: Unknown 1779 (Anei 8) This is a douche-ki that illustrates the detailed travel route from Kanazawa Hakkei via Kamakura to Enoshima Isalnd with explanations of the famous places along side. Douchu-zu was a map of Edo period that illustrated the travel route of both land and sea, and it is similar to the combination of today’s roadmap and guide for the famous sites. From this work, it is clear that the route from Kanazawa via Kamakura to Enoshima was already established as a typical travel route by the late18th century.

Artist: Katsukawa Shuntei 1798-1820 (Kansei 10-Bunsei 3) The Battle of Ishibashi-yama took place in 1180 between Minamoto no Yoritomo and Oba Kagechika with the Taira Clan. In this picture, the scene of interception when Yoritomo raised his army at Izu and proceeded to Yugawara is illustrated. The interception took place by more than three thousand armies led by Oba Kagechika and the worriers such as Matano Kagehisa, Shibuya Shigekuni, and Ebina Suekazu all of the warriors who ruled the Fujisawa regions also joined with Kagechika. According to “The Tale of Heike (Taira Clan)”, before this battle was taking place, there was a fight between Houjou Tokimasa and Oba Kagechika. Kagechika declared to Tokimasa that he was the descendant of Kamakura Kagemasa, who fought with Minamoto Clan by the time of the Gosan-nen War. Then Tokimasa asked the reason that Kagechika has to fight against the Minamoto Clan, since he was the descendant of the Minamoto clan’s former vassal, Kagemasa. Then, Kagechika answered “The master of old time is now my enemy. My gratitude for the Taira Clan is higher than mountain and deeper than sea.”