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The Nihonbashi (the “Bridge of Japan”) here functions as a symbol of Edo, then the capital of Japan, and indeed of the country as a whole.

In the year following the construction of the bridge, 1604, Tokugawa Ieyasu issued a decree that assured the importance of the Nihonbashi for posterity: the middle of the bridge became the point from which all distances in the country were to be measured. The area around the Nihonbashi was one of the most important commercial centres in Edo.

A Bright Morning after a Fall of Snow by the Nihonbashi Bridge

Nihonbashi Yukibare

May 1856

Colour woodblock print, 33.7 × 22.5 cm

Gift of Theodore Lande, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Vancouver

This view of sailing boats against the dawn background is the one obtained from the tall eminence called Kasumigasekizaka – the Hill of the Outpost of the Mists.

After Edo was made the capital, Tokugawa Ieyasu allocated Kasumigaseki for the residences of powerful members of the feudal hierarchy (tozama-daimyo). The prevailing atmosphere on the street is one of merry-making. Hiroshige’s depiction of the Outpost of the Mists is indeed set in a festive period, during the New Year celebrations.

The Outpost of the Mists

Kasumigaseki

January 1857

Colour woodblock print, 37 × 23 cm

Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

This print depicts one of the most aristocratic areas of the Eastern Capital – the place known as Hibiya, in the Soto-Sakurada district. Hiroshige places us directly opposite this estate, and the red gates of the house are the first thing to catch our attention. This is considered the most detailed image of a daimyo estate in ukiyo-e art. Two further details catch the attention: the traditional and most common New Year decoration, kadomatsu, a decorated pine in front of the entrance in the foreground, and the kites fluttering in the sky. These are indisputable signs that the start of the New Year is depicted here.

Hibiya in the Soto-Sakurada District, seen from the Yamashita Quarter

Yamashitacho Hibiya Soto-Sakurada

December 1857

Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

Here the viewer is placed in a boat passing beneath the Eitaibashi Bridge. Eitaibashi is the largest bridge and one of the oldest across the Sumidagawa. It was constructed in 1698. The panorama from the bridge developed into one of the traditional themes of Japanese poetry in the Edo period. The bridge was frequently damaged by floods and had to be repaired at considerable expense. Finally, the government decided to give up the struggle and abandon the Eitaibashi.

Tsukudajima Island from the Eitaibashi Bridge

Eitaibashi Tsukudajima

February 1857

Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

The white summit of Mount Fuji rises from a scarlet strip of dawn sky. The even line of houses belonging to common people that forms the background of the print is disrupted only by the slight curve of the bridge built across the Yagenbori canal, at the point where it joins the Sumidagawa. This bridge is known as Moto-Yanagibashi – the “True Willow Bridge”. At this early hour, boats are passing along the Sumidagawa loaded with goods for the numerous markets that open while it is still dark.

The Ekoin Monastery at Ryogoku and the Moto-Yanagibashi Bridge

Ryogoku Ekoin Motoyanagibashi

May 1857

Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

In the early Edo period this spot, like the whole of the Bakurocho quarter, was the scene of lively horse-dealing. In front of the area of hostelries lay the Hatsune-no baba racetrack, the oldest in Edo. The site was directly connected with the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 that brought the Tokugawa house to power. With time, the character of the place changed. Together with Bakurocho, it became a centre for working and selling fabrics.

The Hatsune-no baba Racetrack in the Bakurocho Quarter

Bakurocho Hatsune-no baba

September 1857

Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

From the second half of the seventeenth century, merchants trading in fabrics began to concentrate their businesses in this quarter. Hiroshige shows us First Street from the gate which closed off the quarter. From the moment the new capital was founded, gates like these were installed in all the quarters of Edo for crime prevention and, most importantly, fire prevention.

The Street of Fabric Shops in the Odemmacho Quarter

Odemmacho momendana

April 1858

Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

A street straight as an arrow runs right to the very foot of Mount Fuji, which is depicted in the centre of the print. The mountain is separated from the cityscape by a strip of stylised clouds that Hiroshige “borrowed” from the repertoire of classical painting: Fuji seems to exist in a different world. It reigns above the urban bustle of the commercial quarter near the Nihonbashi, without coming into contact with it.

The Surugacho Quarter

Surugacho

September 1856

Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

In 1636, the Sujikai-gomon gate was constructed on the road leading from the Nihonbashi bridge to Ueno, for the inspection of travellers. Next to a daimyo’s mansion is a small guardhouse, which Hiroshige depicted in the upper left-hand part of the print. Quite possibly this mansion is the destination of a procession consisting of several palanquins (kago), servants carrying luggage baskets and samurai guards. On the other side of the Kandagawa we can see the majestic buildings of the Kanda-myojin, one of the most popular Shinto holy places among those born and bred in the city.

Yatsukoji Square seen from the Sujikai Gate

Sujikai-uchi Yatsukoji

November 1857

Colour woodblock print, 34 × 23 cm

Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

This print takes the viewer onto the grounds of the Kanda-myojin shrine. The shrine was one of the most ancient in Edo. It had been founded in the year 730 in the village of Shibasaki (the present-day Otemachi quarter). The shrine was held to be the dwelling-place of the spirits, who guarded the capital. Perhaps for that reason the Kanda-matsuri temple festival was the most popular holiday among the natives of the city. The print, though, depicts something different – the quiet start to a day of noise and bustle, which all days were in the Eastern Capital’s most frequently-visited holy place.

The Kanda-myojin Shrine at Daybreak

Kanda-myojin akebono-no kei

September 1857

Colour woodblock print, 34 × 23 cm

Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

Kiyomizudo was the most important of the temples of the Kanyeiji monastery, one of the main Buddhist centres in the Eastern Capital.

In the print Hiroshige has placed the red terrace wreathed in the cherry blossom of spring in the foreground. From it there is a view of the Shinobazu-no ike. Hiroshige depicted Kiyomizudo in spring, when it is literally swimming in white cherry blossom. The cherry trees, which had already been planted by the third shogun, Iemitsu, were a local prodigy and brought Ueno fame as the best place for the admiration of the spring blossom (hanami).

The Kiyomizudo Temple and Shinobazu Pond at Ueno

Ueno Kiyomizudo Shinobazu-no ike

April 1856

Colour woodblock print, 33.7 × 22.5 cm

Gift of Theodore Lande, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Vancouver

Yamashita, literally “below the hill”, was an area of wasteland at the foot of Ueno hill. It was supposed to serve as a fire-break and was deliberately created in 1737. In overpopulated Edo empty spaces were at a very high premium. Soon various eating-houses, wine-shops and restaurants appeared here (one of which is depicted on the right-hand side of the engraving). Directly beneath the suyarigasumi (white and pink stylised clouds), surrounded by trees lower down the slope stands a fairly small structure heralded by a torii gate. This is Gojo-tenjin, a Shinto shrine dedicated to Sugawara-no Mitizane (845–903), a minister and poet, the deified patron of scholars and students.

Yamashita at Ueno

Ueno Yamashita

August 1858

Colour woodblock print, 36 × 23 cm

Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

Ueno hill was one of the main centres of attraction in the Eastern Capital. The word Shitaya (“lower valley”) was used to describe a fairly extensive area at the foot of Ueno Hill. A group of women carrying parasols is making its way up the middle of the hill. Most probably they are on a trip to admire the cherry blossoms at Kanyeiji. The women are followed by three samurai who wear European-style trousers. This trend began in the late 1850s and became almost the norm by the next decade, the start of the Meiji period (1868–1912) which saw the rapid penetration of western culture into all spheres of Japanese life.

Hirokoji Street in the Shitaya District

Shitaya hirokoji

September 1856

Colour woodblock print, 36 × 23 cm

Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

Nippori was part of one of the quietest areas of the Eastern Capital, lying between Ueno and another hill. The name means “the village of life, day in, day out”, suggesting a calm, unhurried existence. Until the 1670s and 1680s, there was nothing remarkable about the place, but then several existing monasteries and Shinto shrines moved here and others were constructed. Hiroshige takes us to the Shushoin monastery belonging to the Nichiren school, which was founded in 1575 and moved to Nippori in 1668. The Shushoin monastery was a favourite place of relaxation among the inhabitants of Edo.

Landscaped Gardens at the Nippori Temple

Nippori jiin-no rinsen

February 1857

Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

Here we find ourselves in the grounds of the Shinto shrine Suwa-myojin, which was believed to protect two neighbouring places, Yanaka and Nippori. The latter appears in the print: a fairly steep slope leads to a group of buildings half-hidden by masses of cherry blossom. The Suwa-myojin shrine was founded in 1205. Later visitors were, to a large extent, attracted by the views to be had from the Suwanodai promontory. It is one of these views that Hiroshige presents.

Suwa Bluff at Nippori

Nippori Suwanodai

May 1856

Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

It is believed that the name Sendagi – “1000 Bundles of Firewood” – came from the trade practised by the local peasants: they cut firewood in the surrounding woods and then brought it to Edo, 1000 bundles at a time. This formerly rural area was only incorporated into the city in 1745.

In the upper part of the print a steep flight of steps, flanked by stone lamps and artificial rocks, leads to a tall pavilion. Space in this print is divided by stylised clouds like those frequently found in ancient Japanese painting.

The Pavilion of Flowers on Dangozaka Slope, the Sendagi Quarter

Sendagi Dangozaka Hanayashiki

May 1856

Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

Admiring the cherry blossoms was one of the most traditional and popular pastimes for the Japanese in the nineteenth century and remains so today. Four places were most frequented for hanami: Ueno, Gotenyama, the bank of the Sumidagawa and Asukayama, the hill depicted in this print. The name of the hill came from a small Shinto shrine that was founded as early as 1321–1324. Despite being over three miles from the centre of the city, it became one of the most popular places to spend time in the bosom of nature, particularly in the cherry blossom season.

The View North from Asukayama Hill

Asukayama kita-no chobo

May 1856

Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

Oji Inari-jinja was a well-preserved ancient shrine, dating back to before the Edo period. Inari, originally a harvest deity, was later redefined as the bringer of prosperity and success in one’s affairs, including commerce. Once a year, during the temple festival on the 1st Day of the Horse in the Second Month, the shrine was associated with something else. The day was known as the kite fair (tako-no ichi). This festival also had an agricultural origin, as a ritual to protect the coming harvest.

The Inari Shrine at Oji

Oji Inari-no yashiro

September 1857

Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

In 1657, this dam was built north of Asukayama for irrigation purposes. During the Edo period, the monastery enjoyed the particular attention of the Tokugawa family, but in the Meiji period it was abandoned and today only two of its buildings still exist. The water spilling over the dam was commonly referred to as Otaki, “the great waterfall”. In actual fact, it was considerably more modest in size than is shown here. Possibly not only compositional considerations, but also the popular name prompted Hiroshige to exaggeration.

The Dam on the Otonashi River at Oji, popularly known as “The Great Waterfall”

Oji Otonashigawa entai sezoku Otaki to tonau

February 1857

Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

This ferry across the Sumidagawa was in the northern outskirts of Edo. It served pilgrims seeking to visit the Zenkoji monastery.

Once, a monk named Teison was visited in his sleep by the Amida Buddha venerated in Zenkoji (Shinano province), who instructed the monk to make an exact image of him. Teison moulded a sculptural group of three figures: the Amida Buddha and two accompanying bodhisattvas, Kannon and Seishi. This work was completed in 1195 and the composition was placed in a temple, which became known as Zenkoji.

The Zenkoji Monastery by the Kawaguchi Ferry

Kawaguchi-no watashi Zenkoji

February 1857

Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

Mount Atago stands to the east of Yamanote, an aristocratic section of the city containing the mansions of daimyo and high-ranking samurai. It got its name from the Atago-jinja or Atago-gongen shrine constructed on its summit. The most famous and popular festival at Atago-jinja was called Bishamon-matsuri and dedicated to Bishamon-ten, the guardian of the North in the Buddhist pantheon and one of the seven gods of happiness in popular belief.

Mount Atago, the Shiba District

Shiba Atagoyama

August 1857

Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

Until the mid-nineteenth century Hiroo was a rural locality in the Shibuya district to the north-west of Edo. Only towards the very end of the Edo period did people begin to build teahouses and restaurants there. It became a destination for day-trippers out to see “untouched nature”.

In the 1850s the main attraction of Hiroo was the restaurant, originally called Owariya, which stood where Hiroshige depicted it, on the left bank of the Furukawa. The speciality of the house was an eel dish, highly prized in the Eastern Capital.

The Furukawa River at Hiroo

Hiroo Furukawa

July 1856

Colour woodblock print, 34 × 24 cm

Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

In Hiroshige’s time, Meguro was part of the quiet outskirts of forests and fields. From time to time the shoguns practised falconry here, while in spring the peasants gathered young bamboo shoots which they sold by the gate of the Ryusenji monastery.

The history of the monastery goes back to the time of Ieyasu and his great adviser Tenkai, the monk who founded Kanyeiji. Tenkai believed that the new capital should be protected by divine forces as well as men, and he gave instructions for the building of five outlying monasteries. Meguro Fudo was the largest of the monasteries and considered the most important.

The Chiyogaike Pond at Meguro

Meguro Chiyogaike

July 1856

Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

There were two structures connected with one of the most popular cults in Japanese folk religion, that of Mount Fuji. One of them, Shin-Fuji (“New Fuji”), is shown here. The cult of Fuji has its roots in mythological time. Pilgrimages up the mountain began in the ninth century and by the Edo period had become more common.

The New Fuji at Meguro that Hiroshige depicted in the present print was raised in 1829. It took the form of an earth mound overgrown with grass.

New Fuji at Meguro

Meguro Shin-Fuji

April 1857

Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

Two fuji-zuka were put up at Meguro in the early part of the nineteenth century. The New Fuji was new in relation to the other artificial mountain constructed 17 years earlier, in 1812, less than a mile to the north. After the appearance of a second fuji-zuka, the older mound became known as Moto-Fuji, “the Original Fuji”. Moto-Fuji was intended not so much as a setting for the practice of religious ritual but as a pleasant place to spend time admiring the views across the water-meadows of the Megurogawa river.