Harukawa Eichō (Eishō)
1827
This work is a folded book consisting of twelve medium-sized horizontal paintings of each post station along the Tōkaidō from Nihonbashi to Kyoto, with explanatory notes corresponding to each painting. The kyōka (comical poems) inscribed in the paintings, were composed by 34 different kyōka poets.
The author is Harukawa Eichō who studied under Keisai Eisen. In this work, in response to the growing popularity of travel along the Tōkaidō, female travelers and two travelers depicted in the likeness of Yaji and Kita (fictional comedic travel characters from the Edo period best-selling novel Tōkaidōchū Hizakurige (Shank’s Mare on the Tōkaidō Highway) are depicted in an animated manner.

Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige
Production date: 1851 (Kaei 4)

Eight Views of Kanazawa, from the series Famous Places of the Toukaidou

In this picture, today’s Kanazawa Ward of Yokohama City’s eight famous landscapes, Kanazawa Hakkei are all illustrated. The eight views of Kanazawa are “Night Rain at Koizumi”, “Evening Bell at Shoumyou”, “Returning Sails at Ottomo”, “Hazy Morning Sunlight at Susaki”, “Autumn Moon at Seto”, “Wild Geese Alighting at Hiragata”, “Sunset at Nojima”, and “Evening Snow at Uchikawa”. At the right blow the sign of “Myoujin” that indicates the Seto Mishima Myoujin (Seto Shrine) is indicated.


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.

Utagawa Hiroshige
1843-47
This work is part of a series illustrating people traveling on the Tōkaidoō. The drawing of Kanagawa is captioned “Dōchū Fūzoku Enoshima Mōde Mōjin Benten Mairi” (view of pilgrimage to Enoshima, blind men visiting Benten) and depicts people visiting Enoshima Benzaiten. In the distance, Kanagawa-shuku is illustrated, together with the caption “Sōshū Ōyamamichi Atsugi Kaido Oiwake” (intersection of the Mt. Ōyama Road and Atsugi Road). This suggests that the road was frequented by visitors to only Enoshima but also Mt. Ōyama.

Utagawa Hiroshige
1853
Pilgrims returning from Enoshima Shrine are walking on the sandbar between Enoshima Island and the shores of Fujisawa. On the right of the triptych, luxurious palanquins are depicted in the center of the procession. From the wardrobes of the attendants, it is likely that a high-ranking individuals are riding in these palanquins.

Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige
Production date: 1851 (Kaei 4)

Shichiri-ga-hama Beach, from the series Famous Places of the Toukaidou

The view from the Shichiri-ga-hama Beach was often used as the most beloved landscape motif since the two of the most famous places, the Enoshima Island and the Mt. Fuji can be seen from this beach. A town on the right, situated about the gate of the Enoshima Island was Katase. This town was flourished with many visitors to the island and many inns and souvenir shops stood along the approach. A hilly island situated on the left of Katase is the Cape Koyurugi.

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)

Enoshima Island, from the series Famous Places of the Toukaidou This picture illustrates Enoshima Island at the time of low tide and the pilgrims heading to the Island are walking on a sand bar. This sand bar was used to be called as “subana”, and the name still remains today. People call the street that leads to this approach Subana-Douri (Subana Street). Today there is a bridge to cross the sea to get to the Enoshima Island on the time of high tide, but during Edo period, when there was no bridge; people crossed the sea by the ships.

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.

Wrritten by Kanagaki Robun　 Illustrated by Ochiai Yoshiiku Goemon-buro is Japanese old bath tub which was made of steel and a man who takes a bath stands on a floated wooden lid. Kita-san, who does not know how to take a bath by Goemon-buro, breaks the wooden lid

Wrritten by Kanagaki Robun
Illustrated by Ochiai Yoshiiku
1860
Yaji and Kita walk under heavy rain and wind, while thunder rumbles in the dark sky. Yaji is wearing a straw raincoat, but Kita has no rain gear, and complains that he will get wet even if they hurry. The two hurry to the nearby teahouse with dynamic movements.