Utagaw Kuniyoshi Production date:1844-47 In the caption, the anecdote of Minamoto no Yoritomo that took place at the Iwai Village near Mitsuke post station is written. Yoritomo who intended to check the saying “A crane has a life of a thousand years.” released several cranes after putting the golden tags that the name of the era was inscribed. It is told, that people still see the cranes with the golden tags at Iwai Village after 600 years from the age of Yoritomo. In the picture, Yoritomo and his vassals are watching the cranes to fly away. This is a part of the Toukaidou series ukiyo-e, but unlike the other works that focus on the landscapes and views of post stations, in this series the scenes based on legends, tales, kabuki drama, and joururi plays that relate to each post station are illustrated. On the upper part of each work, an explanatory note is written and the picture relates to the notes is illustrated on the lower half. This series was rare since three very popular artists from Utagawa School, Hiroshige, Kuniyoshi and Kunisada (Toyokuni III) were all involved to produce the series together. Furthermore, six publishers were collaborated to produce this series. (In this exhibition, works by Utagawa Hiroshige and Utagawa Kuniyoshi are displayed.)

Utagawa Kunisada(Utagawa Tyokuni Ⅲ) Production date:1844-47 In the caption, the anecdote of Sakura-ga-ike Pond is described. According to the anecdote, a woman appeared in front of Honen, a high rank Buddhist monk of Kamakura period one day and told him that she is the dragon from Sakura-ga-ike Pond. A legend tells that the deity of the dragon lives at the bottom of this pond, which is located today’s Omaezaki city of Shizuoka prefecture, and this picture is illustrated based on this legend. This is a part of the Toukaidou series ukiyo-e, but unlike the other works that focus on the landscapes and views of post stations, in this series the scenes based on legends, tales, kabuki drama, and joururi plays that relate to each post station are illustrated. On the upper part of each work, an explanatory note is written and the picture relates to the notes is illustrated on the lower half. This series was rare since three very popular artists from Utagawa School, Hiroshige, Kuniyoshi and Kunisada (Toyokuni III) were all involved to produce the series together. Furthermore, six publishers were collaborated to produce this series. (In this exhibition, works by Utagawa Hiroshige and Utagawa Kuniyoshi are displayed.)

Utagawa Kuniyoshi 1844-47 According to the description written in the frame on the upper part of this print, “This picture depicts an episode where a man found a famous sword “Aoe-Shimosaka” for his lord, which was lost, after he found a clue at the Futami-ga-ura Bay, Ise prefecture”. In this print, a man, who is a character of a kabuki play, is reading a letter by the light of the morning sun, and it seems the clue is written in this letter. Since a swordsmith of the same name, “Shimosaka” lived in the castle town of Kakegawa, the depicted scene was chosen

Utagawa Kuniyoshi 1844-47 This print is of an anecdote about the “Nakayama Mountain Pass of Sayo”. According to the anecdote, the ghost of a mother who died in this place, leaving her baby alone, appears every night. The wisp-like female figure on the left is the mother and she is depicted thinking about her beloved child as she leaves her soul behind. 掛川 According to the description written in the frame on the upper part of this print, “This picture depicts an episode where a man found a famous sword “Aoe-Shimosaka” for his lord, which was lost, after he found a clue at the Futami-ga-ura Bay, Ise prefecture”. In this print, a man, who is a character of a kabuki play, is reading a letter by the light of the morning sun, and it seems the clue is written in this letter. Since a swordsmith of the same name, “Shimosaka” lived in the castle town of Kakegawa, the depicted scene was chosen.

Utagawa Kunisada(Utagawa ToyokuniⅢ) Production date:1844-47 Since there were no bridges around and no ferry ports along the Oi River that flows between Shimada post station and Kanaya post station, kachi-watashi (men porters carried travelers to cross the river) was the only way to cross the river. Since Oi River often swelled by the rain, this river was considered the severe spot along the Toukaidou. In the picture, a giant sumou wrestler is riding on the carrier, and the 12 porters carry him. Since this sumou wrestler wears sword and possesses a decorative smoking pipe, he is assumed as the exclusive wrestler hired and sponsored by a certain domain.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi Production date:1844-47 The scene of crossing Oi River from Kanaya post station is illustrated. In the picture, the woman crosses the river by riding on a palanquin fixed on a wooden carrier.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi Production date:1844-47 There is a gigantic rock called “Neko-ishi (Cat’s Stone)” in Okabe’s Utsuyama (Mt.Utsu). There is an anecdote that once upon a time, a wild cat turns itself into an old woman and scares people, but one day, the cat tunes into a stone. In the picture, the scene that an old woman attacks a girl is illustrated. This is based on the story “The Monster Cat of Okazaki” from “Hitori Douchu Goju-san Eki (The Lone Journey of the Fifty-three Stations).

Utagawaa hiroshige Production date:1844-47 The landscape of Abe River is illustrated in the fun-shape frame illustrated on the upper part of the picture. Below, women are picking tea leaves of Abe Tea, which is the local product of this region. The bird flying in the sky is hototogisu (Japanese cuckoo) known as the bird that tells the arrival of the tea picking season. The red color of women’s towels and aprons attract viewers’ eye with the contrast of the tea leaves’ dark green and light green background.