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Nihonbashi (Translation)
Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido Road (Series Title)
東海道五十三次之內 日本橋 朝之景 (Primary Title)

Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川広重, Japanese, 1797 - 1858 (Artist)

1833–34
Japanese
Prints
Works On Paper
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
East Asian Art
Sheet: 10 1/8 × 15 1/8 in. (25.72 × 38.42 cm)
Image: 8 7/8 × 13 13/16 in. (22.54 × 35.08 cm)
Mat: 16 × 20 in. (40.64 × 50.8 cm)
52.14.1
Not on view

In this scene, travelers depart on their journey from the busy Nihonbashi district in central Edo, an area known for its bustling fish markets and storefronts. Two large wooden doors open to reveal a procession of porters and samurai crossing the iconic wooden bridge as a group of merchants scurry out of their way. This urban scene provides a glimpse into the rigid social strata that defined Edo-period Japan.

Edo period (1615-1868)
廣重画 Hiroshige ga
Publisher's seal: 竹孫鶴喜 Takemago Tsuruki Censor's seal: 極 kiwame
東海道五十三次之內 日本橋
General Endowment Fund
Strange, Edward Fairbrother. "The Colour-prints of Hiroshige". Vol. 1. London: Cassell & Company, Limited, 1925.

Hiroshige, Ando. "The Fifty-Three Stages of the Tokaido". Edited by Ichitaro Kondo. Translated by Charles S. Terry. Vol. 1. Tokyo: Heibonsha, 1960. Plate 1.
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

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