Kitagawa Utamaro O-ban, vertical print The production date: 1809 (Bunka 6) Publisher: Moriya Jihei There is no concrete evidence that the Enoshima Island is illustrated in this picture, but the words “Kaichou”※ on a lantern at the right side suggests the atmosphere that this place is Enoshima. The main theme of this picture is the beauties and they are watching children swimming. (※“Kaichou” is a ceremony to exhibit the private treasure, such as the images of Buddha, in a very limited time, like only once in few years.)

Artist: Kitagawa Utamaro 1801-1804 (Kyouwa Era), Publisher: Tsurushin This work is the series of twelve works from January to December, and the titles are all the same. Right now, nine works of the series are discovered. This work illustrates a wife of a merchant followed by a young male attendant goes to a pilgrimage to Enoshima Island. The woman wears straw hut, a coat with a black collar and an arm cover and the attendant carries their luggage by using a balance. They are dressed in the typical journey fashion of the time. This particular work is very rare and not many museums own this work, therefore even though there are some parts repaired, it is considered one of the most important ukiyo-e works for Fujisawa city. Kitagawa Utamaro Horeki 3~Bunka 3 (1753~1806) Utamaro was a pupil of Toriyama Sekien, and active during as an ukiyo-e artist from An’ei 4 till his death (1775-1806). First, he worked under the artist names of Kitagawa Toyoaki or Toyoaki. Later, around the beginning of Tenmei era, he changed name to Utamaro, and soon changed the Kanji character of Kitagawa to the presently known version. First he produced Shusho style’s Kabuki actor pictures and then produced pictures of beautiful women with Shigemasa and Kiyonaga style. Later around Kansei 3, with the sponsorship of the famous publisher Tsutaya Juzaburo’s, he completed new style, the half-length portraits of beautiful women. Utamaro became the leading artist of the pictures of beautiful women, by pursuing the ideal beauty of women, and expressing the full range of their inner lives and emotions.

Artist: Katsushika Hokusai 1830-1844 (c.Tempou era), Publisher: Eijudou Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji is the ultimate masterpieces of Hokusai, and the thirty-six pieces originally published were called “top” while the ten pieces followed the original, because of the high reputation of the series, were called “bottom”. As a total, forty-six works of this series were published. The works of Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji are classified into three categories according to the picture mood: the first category is the painting with Yamato-e style tradition, the second category is picture with the Chinese ink painting tradition and the third category is the picture with the Western perspective expression. This particular picture is classified into the Chinese ink painting tradition inherits many elements from it. The Enoshima Island is illustrated as if it is connected to the mainland, expressed in very flat way, reminds viewers of the Chinese landscape painting. Katsushika Hokusai Hōreki 10~Kaei 2 (1760~1849) Hokusai was a pupil of Katsukawa Shunsho; also said to have studied under Kano Yusen, Tsutsumi Torin, and Sumiyoshi Hiroyuki. He produced of wide variety of art and media. Later in his life, he focused more on the paintings and worked beyond the framework of the established ukiyo-e. He had students such as Hokuba, Hokkei, Hokuju and Shinsai. He had a long career period started from An’ei 8 till his death (1779-1849).

Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige 1834 This work, although deviated from the main theme of this exhibition, illustrates the landscape of the Enoshima Island viewed from Katase, and it is from the same series of the work No.37 (Only two works from the same series are discovered today). The Enoshima Island is illustrated with the composition as if to look down from a height, and Shichimen-zan is illustrated in the front. In the middle landscape, between Enoshima Island and Shichimen-zan, houses around Ryukouji Temple are illustrated. People walking toward to the Enoshima Island on the sandbar appears at the time of low tide are illustrated as dots. Katase is the land facing Enoshima Island, but it is rare that this place is illustrated as the motif of picture, thus the composition of this picture is distinctive. The Shichimen-zan in the title is the mountain illustrated at the left where travelers are taking a rest and it is located at the back of Ryukouji Temple of the Nichiren-sect.

Utagawa Hiroshige 1844～1853 This print was published when the statue was made available for viewing in 1851. It portrays three beauties standing in a row, with the sand bar leading to Enoshima in the background. The woman in the center has draped a yukata (unlined cotton robe) on top of her nagagi kimono. On trips, yukata were worn over the shoulders on top of kimono, in place of capes. The route for the pilgrimage to Enoshima went along the coast, and yukata were probably required items for warding off the briny breezes coming from the sea.

Utagawa Hiroshige 1856 ‘Kanagawa’ illustrates a Japanese fairy tale starring Urashima Taro At the climax of the story, smoke from the opened gift box turns him into an old man. ‘Hodogaya’ illustrates the poles of Katabira-bashi Bridge that spans the Katabira-gawa River and is commonly depicted as a scene representing the Hodogaya Post Station. ‘Totsuka’ illustrates the Ozaka Slope at the western side of the Totsuka Post Station. The Ozaka Slope is also a well known place for its view of Mt. Fuji. ‘Fujisawa’ illustrates Princess Terute, who appears in the Tale of Ogurihangan as his love interest. Hiroshige produced many series of prints based on the Toukaidou Highway, and he also produced the different styles of work as this one. It is generally called “The Toukaidou with Harimaze-e (Paste the mixed pictures.)”, and three to five pictures of landscapes of post stations, local specialties and episodes or stories related to the places are illustrated in a single sheet.