The 53 Stations of the Tokaido is Hiroshige's trademark series. The
original Tokaido prints were completed in 1834, but
Hiroshige returned to the subject again and again. There are actually
55 prints in the series. It includes not only the 53 way
stations on the road from Tokyo to Kyoto, but also the starting point at
the Nihon-bashi (Japan bridge)
in central Tokyo, and the ending at Kyoto. Two of the original Tokaido
series are represented here. The
first, number 11 (Hakone), is a view showing Lake Ashi and the nearby mountains.
A daimyo
procession is heading up the road into the mountains. Lake Ashi lies below,
and the snow-covered cone
of Mt. Fuji can be seen in the distance past the lake. Portions of the
old Tokaido road are still preserved
in Hakone, and much of the area is now a national park.
Hiroshige created many extraordinarily beautiful snow scenes (something
especially appreciated here
in Rochester, NY!). One of his most famous is the evening snow at Kambara,
number 16, where
several isolated travelers trudge through the evening snow. There are
two variants of this print, the
other having a gray sky above, with a clear black area of sky visible
beyond the mountains.
1855 Tokaido Series
Hiroshige returned to the Tokaido theme many times over the next quarter
century, creating at least 16 Tokaido series in a
variety of formats. One of the later series is the Gojusan Tsugi Meisho
Dzuye published by Tsutaya in 1855. Like the original
series, these are also oban sized (39 x 26 cm), but unlike the originals,
they are in a vertical rather than horizontal format. Two
examples from my collection, and one from Bertrand Schmitt are available
here.
At
the left is a mountain scene, "The Road Through the Ivy at Mt. Utsu near
Okabe" (number 22). A few
travelers are proceeding up a mountain pass to a yellow rest house. A rounded
mountain rises up over the
clouds ahead of them. It appears to float amongst the clouds. As in the
original Tokaido series, there is a stream
running along the right side of the path. If you look very closely at the
large version, you will note that the bottom
traveler is carrying a tengu mask on his back. This indicates he is a pilgrim
travelling to (or from) the Kompira
shrine for a festival. Similar pilgrims occur elsewhere in the other Tokaido
series, at Numazu in the original
Tokaido and at Fuchu in the Gyosho Tokaido (1841-2). This latter picture
is shown in Stephen Addiss's
Japanese Ghosts and Demons, but incorrectly identified as part of the original
series.
The second print, "The Bow and Bowstring Route from Kusatsu to Yasabe"
is from the same series (number
53). We see boats loading and unloading in the foreground, with other
boats crossing the water. There's a
castle across the water on the right, at the foot of the mountains.
If you examine the large version, you'll see a
very prominent woodgrain in center of the picture.
"View
of Mt. Fuji from the Mountain Road near Totsuka" (number 6) is a rather
unusual view.
The Tokaido Road and its travelers are almost hidden in the middle of the
picture, which is
dominated by a foreground rice paddy and by Fuji looming in the background.
I
would like to put the whole vertical Tokaido series on my server. Contributions
of jpegs, tiffs, etc. of the other
prints in the series are welcome.
36 Views of Mt. Fuji
Hiroshige also created many prints that were not on the Tokaido Road.
He did two Thirty-Six Views of Mt.
Fuji series. This print, from the 1858 series in vertical oban format,
shows Fuji as seen from the Misaka pass
in Kai Province, across Lake Motosu. If it looks vaguely familiar,
it may be because a distorted form of the
print is commonly seen on the Net. This version has been restored to
its original vertical oban proportions.
Tokaido 53 Stations / Nihonbashi (Early Morning)
Tokaido 53 Stations / Shono (Shower)
The Tokaido Series
Hiroshige also created many prints that were not on the Tokaido Road.
He did two Thirty-Six Views of Mt.
Fuji series. This print, from the 1858 series in vertical oban format,
shows Fuji as seen from the Misaka pass
in Kai Province, across Lake Motosu. If it looks vaguely familiar,
it may be because a distorted form of the
print is commonly seen on the Net. This version has been restored to
its original vertical oban proportions.
"View of Mt. Fuji from the Mountain Road near Totsuka" (number 6) is
a rather unusual view.
The Tokaido Road and its travelers are almost hidden in the middle of the
picture, which is
dominated by a foreground rice paddy and by Fuji looming in the background.
The second print, "The Bow and Bowstring Route from Kusatsu to Yasabe"
is from the same series (number
53). We see boats loading and unloading in the foreground, with other
boats crossing the water. There's a
castle across the water on the right, at the foot of the mountains.
If you examine the large version, you'll see a
very prominent woodgrain in center of the picture.
At the left is a mountain scene, "The Road Through the Ivy at Mt. Utsu
near Okabe" (number 22). A few
travelers are proceeding up a mountain pass to a yellow rest house. A rounded
mountain rises up over the
clouds ahead of them. It appears to float amongst the clouds. As in the
original Tokaido series, there is a stream
running along the right side of the path. If you look very closely at the
large version, you will note that the bottom
traveler is carrying a tengu mask on his back. This indicates he is a pilgrim
travelling to (or from) the Kompira
shrine for a festival. Similar pilgrims occur elsewhere in the other Tokaido
series, at Numazu in the original
Tokaido and at Fuchu in the Gyosho Tokaido (1841-2). This latter picture
is shown in Stephen Addiss's
Japanese Ghosts and Demons, but incorrectly identified as part of the original
series.