Nishizawa Naokichi
1891
This work is a sugoroku published in Osaka. The starting square is labeled “Saikyo,” an another name for Kyoto, the farmer capital of Japan, and the game proceeds from Kyoto to Nihonbashi.
Although many modern subjects, such as people in Western clothing and trains, are depicted in the illustrations in the game board squares, there are also subjects from the Edo period, such as famous places and specialties of each past station. Some squares, such as the square for Nissaka, combine elements of both. The Nissaka square depicts the Yonaki Ishi (Night-Weeping Stone), a famous stone located along the road that was often depicted in the Fifty-three Stations of the Toukaidou Highway in the Edo period. The two men looking at the Yonaki Ishi are dressed in Western-style clothing, and while the subject matter follows that of the Edo period, it is depicted in a modern style.
The final square, the goal, depicts the Seven Gods of Good Fortune in matching kimonos dancing amidst falling oval gold coins. It is as if they are celebrating the player having reached the goal.