One Hundred Famous Views of Edo
One Hundred Famous Views of Edo is a series of 119 ukiyo-e prints begun and largely completed by the Japanese artist Hiroshige. The prints were first published in serialized form in 1856–59, with Hiroshige II completing the series after Hiroshige's death. It was tremendously popular and much reprinted.
History
Hiroshige painted in the style of the Utagawa school, a 19th-century popular style in woodblock prints, much favoured during his lifetime. Increasingly large series of prints were produced. This trend can be seen in Hiroshige’s work, such as The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō and The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaidō.Many publishing houses arose and grew, publishing both books and individual prints. A publisher's ownership of the physical woodblocks used to print a given text or image constituted the closest equivalent to a concept of "copyright" that existed at this time.
Woodblock prints such as these were produced in large numbers in 18th- and 19th-century Japan, created by artists, block cutters and printers working independently to the instructions of specialist publishers. Prints such as these were called ukiyo-e, which means 'pictures of the floating world'. This world was one of transient delights and changing fashions centred on the licensed pleasure districts and popular theatres found in the major cities of Japan.
In the years 1829–36, a seven volume illustrated guidebook Pictures of famous places of Edo was published. It was begun by Saitō Yukio in 1790 and illustrated very accurately by Hasegawa Settan. The pictures and text describe the important temples and shrines, but also the famous stores, restaurants, tea-houses etc. of Edo as well as the Sumida river and its channels and surrounding landscape.
Hiroshige, in several cases, makes use of this guide for his series of colour prints. It is a work that inspired a number of Western artists, including Vincent van Gogh, to experiment with imitations of Japanese methods.
The series uses a vertical format which Hiroshige pioneered in his preceding series, Famous Views of the Sixty-odd Provinces, and was a departure from the horizontal format used in his previous major print series.
Prints
Key
- No.: number of the print; an alternative order for the summer prints in parentheses
- Title: as it appears on the print together with English translation and Japanese reading
- Depicted: major landmarks that appear in the print listed in order of increasing distance from the viewer
- Remarks: some general remarks on the print
- Date: publication year and month according to the date seal; intercalary months are preceded with "i"
- Location: place, ward and coordinates of the viewpoint
- Image: a picture of the print
No. | Title | Depicted | Remarks | Date | Location | Image |
— | Table of Contents | — | Abbreviated titles of prints arranged by season: two boxes at top are spring, fan-shaped box is summer, bottom right box autumn and bottom left are winter prints | — | — | |
1 | Nihonbashi: Clearing after Snow | Nihonbashi, Edo Castle, Mount Fuji | — | |||
2 | Kasumigaseki | Street, guardhouse of residence of Asano, barracks of samurai of the Kuroda clan, Edo Bay | Kadomatsu gate pines and manzai dancers indicate a setting around New Year; kite with Japanese character for fish is a reference to the publisher of the series, Sakanaya Eikichi | |||
3 | Hibiya and Soto-Sakurada from Yamashita-chō | Residence of daimyō Nabeshima Kansō from the Saga Domain, outer moat of Edo Castle, Mount Fuji | Kadomatsu pine, hagoita and kites indicate a setting around New year | |||
4 | Tsukudajima and Eitai Bridge | Eitai Bridge, Sumida River, fishing boats of Tsukudajima | An almost identical composition titled Eitaibashi by Hiroshige exists in the second volume of his "Illustrated Souvenirs of Edo" | |||
5 | Ekōin Temple in Ryōgoku and Moto-Yanagi Bridge | Drum tower of Ekō-in, Honjo neighbourhood, Sumida River, residence of Matsudaira feudal lor of Tanba, Mount Fuji | Drum tower was associated with sumo tournaments held at Ekō-in; for marketing purposes the print appeared two months after a popular major exhibition of temple treasures at Ekō-in | |||
6 | Hatsune Riding Ground in Bakuro-chō | Hatsune Riding Ground and district's fire watch tower | Dyers of Konya-chō district using riding grounds to dry their cloths | |||
7 | Shops with Cotton Goods in Ōdenma-chō | Street scene with geishas, cotton shops in Ōdenma-chō | — | |||
8 | Suruga-chō | Mitsui textile stores, Mount Fuji | Echigoya later became the Mitsukoshi department store chain whose modern day headquarters are located on the left side of the street in the print | |||
9 | Yatsukōji, Inside Sujikai Gate | Yatsukōji junction, Kanda River, Kanda Shrine | One of the few open spaces in Edo, created as fire-breaks | |||
10 | Sunrise at Kanda Myōjin Shrine | Kanda Shrine | Probably produced as a souvenir of the shrine festival in memory of the Battle of Sekigahara celebrated on the 15th day of the 9th month | |||
11 | Kiyomizu Hall and Shinobazu Pond at Ueno | Kiyomizu Hall of Kan'ei-ji, Moon Pine, Shinobazu Pond | Depicted pines are in reality much smaller | |||
12 | Ueno Yamashita | Iseya restaurant, temples | Published in the month after Hiroshige's death; composition probably based on his sketches but probably completed by Hiroshige II | |||
13 | Shitaya Hirokōji | Hirokōji, premises of textile retailer Matsuzakaya | Published in the same month in which the depicted Matsuzakaya store re-opened after the 1855 earthquake | |||
14 | Temple Gardens in Nippori | Temple Gardens | Depicts cherries and azaleas in bloom while in reality they bloom at different times of the year | |||
15 | Suwa Bluff in Nippori | Suwa Myōjin Shrine grounds, Mount Tsukuba | — | |||
16 | Flower Park and Dangozaka Slope in Sendagi | Cherry orchard, Pavilion of the Violet Spring | The print is a reference to the reconstruction of the Shisentai after the 1855 earthquake and to Tokugawa Iesada's visit to the park two months prior to publication | |||
17 | View to the North from Asukayama | Asukayama Park, Mount Tsukuba | Possibly inspired by Tokugawa Iesada's visit to the park two months prior to publication | |||
18 | The Ōji Inari Shrine | Ōji Inari Shrine, Mount Tsukuba | — | |||
19 | Dam on the Otonashi River at Ōji, known as "The Great Waterfall" | Otonashi River, Amida Hall of Kinrin-ji temple, Takata-chō | Likely created to mark Tokugawa Iesada's visit to Kinrin-ji and Takata on the 21st day of the first month | |||
20 | The Kawaguchi Ferry and Zenkōji temple | Arakawa River, Zenkō-ji temple | A year after Hiroshige designed the print, the Buddha in the Amida Hall at the top was due to be exhibited publicly for the first time in 13 years; in a pun Hiroshige covered the hall of this "secret Buddha" with the title cartouche | |||
21 | Mount Atago in Shiba | Atago Shrine, Edo Bay | Scene depicts an emissary from Enpuku-ji temple who on every third day of the year performs a ceremony at Atago Shrine for good fortune, health and success and to avert hunger and disease; the large rice paddle in his hand symbolizes abundance, the seaweed around his neck was distributed after the ceremony among the faithful who used it to brew an infusion against colds | |||
22 | Hiroo on Furukawa River | Furukawa River, "Fox" restaurant | — | |||
23 | Chiyogaike Pond in Meguro | Chiyogaike Pond | Feature a — for the time — unusual depiction of reflections of the trees in the water | |||
24 | New Fuji in Meguro | Mita Aqueduct, Mount Fuji replica, Mount Fuji | Subject is a replica of Mount Fuji erected in 1829 by Fuji worshippers | |||
25 | The Original Fuji in Meguro | Mount Fuji replica, Mount Fuji | Fuji replica erected in 1812 was at the tallest in Edo; this print was incorrectly placed in the spring section of the table of contents since the depicted cherry trees are in autumn foliage; spelling of "Fuji" in the title as is thought to be a pun on the doubling of the mountain | |||
26 | The "Armour-Hanging Pine" at Hakkeizaka Bluff | Tōkaidō, Edo Bay | Depicts a popular viewpoint of Edo Bay; according to legend, Minamoto no Yoshiie hung his armour on this tree in 1062; Hiroshige adapts the shape of the tree so that only a giant could have hung his armour on it | |||
27 | Plum Orchard in Kamada | Plum Orchard in Kamada | — | |||
28 | Palace Hill in Shinagawa | Palace Hill | Depicts both a famous cherry blossom spot and the destruction of the landscape after removal of earth; the earth was used to build ramparts in the sea following Commodore Perry's arrival in Edo Bay in 1853 | |||
29 | Moto-Hachiman Shrine in Sunamura | Torii of Moto-Hachiman Shrine, Edo Bay | — | |||
30 | Plum Park in Kameido | Plum Park in Kameido | Both in color and theme this print is related to print no. 27 ; copied by Vincent van Gogh under the title Japonaiserie: Flowering Plum Tree | |||
31 | Azuma no mori Shrine and the Entwined Camphor | Azuma Shrine | — | |||
32 | The Yanagishima | Myōken Hall of Hōshō-ji temple, Hashimotoya restaurant, Mount Tsukuba | — | |||
33 | Towboas Along the Yotsugi-dōri Canal | Yotsugi-dōri Canal towpath | Unlike in the print, the canal and towpath were absolutely straight | |||
34 | Night View of Matsuchiyama and the San'ya Canal | Sumida River, San'ya Canal inlet, Yumeiro and Takeya restaurants, Matsuchiyama hill, Shōten Shrine | Only image in the series to depict a large human figure, purportedly the favourite geisha of Hiroshige; Shōten Shrine on the top of the hill has sexual connotations | |||
35 | Suijin Shrine and Massaki on the Sumida River | Cherry tree trunk, Suijin Shrine, Sumida River, Massaki district, Mount Tsukuba | People at the bottom of the print are on the way to the Hashiba ferry | |||
36 | View From Massaki of Suijin Shrine, Uchigawa Inlet, and Sekiya | Sumida River, Suijin Shrine, Massaki district, Mount Tsukuba | Similar subject and location as no. 35 | |||
37 | Kilns and the Hashiba Ferry on the Sumida River | Kilns, Sumida River, Suijin Shrine, Mount Tsukuba | Similar area as no. 35, 36 | |||
38 | Dawn Inside the Yoshiwara | Yoshiwara | Published two months prior to the reopening of Yoshiwara after it burnt down in the 1855 earthquake; Hiroshige may have submitted this design and title following the suicide of two courtesans and their two lovers at dawn of the 19th day of the 4th month of 1857 | |||
39 | Distant View of Kinryūzan Temple and the Azuma Bridge | Sumida River, Azuma Bridge, Kinryūzan Temple, Mount Fuji | — | |||
40 | Bashō's Hermitage on Camellia Hill beside the Aqueduct at Sekiguchi | Sekiguchi Aqueduct, Bashō's Hermitage | — | |||
41 | Hachiman Shrine in Ichigaya | Ichigaya moat, shopping street, Hachiman Shrine | Dated one month after Hiroshige's death and therefore attributed to Hiroshige II by some art historians | |||
42 | Cherry Blossoms on the Banks of the Tama River | Actually, the Tama River-Jōsui channel is depicted, with cherry trees far outside Edo | One of the first five prints sanctioned by the censors | |||
43 | Nihonbashi Bridge and Edobashi Bridge | Nihonbashi, Nihonbashi River, Edobashi | Fish barrel with first bonito of the season represents early summer | |||
44 | View of Nihonbashi itchōme Street | Nihonbashi itchōme Street | Shirokiya shop on the right developed into one of the city's largest department stores and finally became part of the Tokyu Group | |||
45 | Yatsumi Bridge | Yatsumi Bridge, Edo Castle, Mount Fuji | — | |||
46 | Yoroi Ferry, Koami-chō | Nihonbashi River, Yoroi ferry | — | |||
47 | Seidō and Kanda River from Shōhei Bridge | Shōhei Bridge, Shōheizaka hill, Kanda River, wall of Yushima Seidō | Exaggerated size of hill on left | |||
48 | Suidō Bridge and the Surugadai Quarter | View from Surugadai, Kanda River, Suidō Bridge, Edo Castle, Mount Fuji | Koinobori carp streamers place the scene around the Boy's festival on the 5th day of the 5th month, the same month as the print was approved by the censors | |||
49 | Fudō Falls in Ōji | Fudō Falls | Hasegawa Settan | |||
50 | Kumano Jūnisha Shrine at Tsunohazu, known as "Jūnisō" | Kumano Jūnisha Shrine | — | |||
51 | The Sannō Festival Procession at Kōjimachi itchōme | Moat and Hanzōmon Gate of Edo Castle | Sannō Festival was held one month prior to the approval of the print | |||
52 | The Paulownia Garden at Akasaka | Paulownia Garden, Tameike Pond, Hie Shrine, residence of daimyō Kuroda from Fukuoka | Hie Shrine is location for the Sannō Festival | |||
53 | The Pagoda of Zōjōji Temple and Akabane | Zōjō-ji, Akabane Bridge, residence of daimyō Arima from Kurume | — | |||
54 | The Benkei Moat from Soto-Sakurada to Kōjimachi | South-west embankment and moat of Edo Castle, residence of daimyō Ii from the Hikone Domain, Kōjimachi watchtower | Kōjimachi watchtower had been restored two months prior to publication after burning down in the 1855 earthquake | |||
55 | The Sumiyoshi Festival at Tsukudajima | Tsukudajima Island | The Sumiyoshi Festival is held on the 29th of the sixth month, i.e., in the month prior to publication of this print; writer of the inscription is identified on the banner as the creator of the table of contents of this series, Seikengū Gengyo | |||
56 | Mannen Bridge in Fukagawa | Mannen Bridge, Mount Fuji | A turtle hanging from tub's handle use for Life release. | |||
57 | Mitsumata Wakarenofuchi | Sumida River, Mount Fuji | Reed-covered sandbank alludes to the artificial Nakazu island, location of a famous 18th-century pleasure district that was demolished in the course of the Kansei Reforms | |||
58 | Sudden Shower over Shin-Ōhashi bridge and Atake | Shin-Ōhashi bridge, Sumida River, Atake district | Considered to be a masterpiece and possibly Hiroshige's most famous work; copied by Vincent van Gogh | |||
59 | Ryōgoku Bridge and the Great Riverbank | Sumida River, Ryōgoku Bridge | At the time Japan's largest bridge | |||
60 | Asakusa River, Miyato River, Great Riverbank | Sumida River, Mount Tsukuba | Depicts pilgrimage to Mount Ōyama, the pilgrim's return from the mountain is shown in no. 76; names in title are synonymous names for the depicted section of the Sumida River; in later prints, the title was simplified to: In Boats at Ryōgoku with a distant View of Asakusa | |||
61 | The "Pine of Success" and Oumayagashi on the Asakusa River | Sumida River, Oumayagashi ferry | Hiroshige's "Illustrated Souvenirs of Edo" contains a mirror image of this view with a woman standing upright in the boat | |||
62 | Komakata Hall and Azuma Bridge | Komakata Hall, Sumida River, Azuma Bridge, Asakusa district | Lesser cuckoo and Komakata Hall in the print allude to a 17th-century love poem attributed to Takao II, courtesan and lover of Date Tsunamune: Are you now, my love, near Komakata? Cry of the cuckoo!" | |||
63 | The Ayase River and Kanegafuchi | Sumida River, Ayase River | Northernmost point of the Sumida river depicted in this series | |||
64 | Horikiri Iris Garden | Horikiri Iris Garden | Influenced European Art Nouveau | |||
65 | Inside Kameido Tenjin Shrine | Drum bridge and garden at Kameido Tenjin Shrine | Flowering wisteria indicates summer season | |||
66 | The Sazaidō Hall at the Five Hundred Rakan Temple | Sazaidō Hall | — | |||
67 | The Ferry at Sakasai | Nakagawa River | — | |||
68 | Open Garden at the Hachiman Shrine in Fukagawa | Garden at Hachiman Shrine | Print shows both azaleas and cherry trees in blossom which is unnatural for Edo; hill in the back is one of many miniature Mount Fuji that were scattered all over Edo | |||
69 | Sanjusangendō Hall in Fukagawa | Sanjusangendō, Kiba lumberyards | About half of the hall is depicted | |||
70 | The mouth of the Nakagawa River | Onagigawa Canal, Nakagawa River, Shinkawa Canal | Nakagawa River is the broad waterway in the middle running left-right | |||
71 | Scattered Pines on the Tone River | Tone River | — | |||
72 | The Ferry at Haneda and the Benten Shrine | Tama River, Benten Shrine, Edo Bay | The ground of the Benten Shrine is now occupied by Haneda Airport | |||
73 | The City Flourishing, the Tanabata Festival | Edo Castle, Mount Fuji | Arguably shows the view from Hiroshige's house; only print in series without a place name in the title | |||
74 | Silk Shops in Ōdenma-chō | Daimaru silk merchant shops | People depicted are carpenters | |||
75 | The Dyers' Quarter in Kanda | Kanda dye works, Edo Castle, Mount Fuji | Kanji on first two white-blue fabrics reads "sakana" and is a reference to the publisher Sakanaya Eikichi, last two white-blue fabrics contain Hiroshige's monogram | |||
76 | Bamboo Quay by Kyōbashi Bridge | Kyōbashi River, Kyōbashi Bridge | — | |||
77 | Inari Bridge and the Minato Shrine in Teppōzu | Hatchōbori Canal, Minato Shrine, Inari Bridge, Mount Fuji | — | |||
78 | Teppōzu and Tsukiji Monzeki Temple | Sumida River, Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple | Like no. 79, this print has the changed series title: Entertaining Supplements to the One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, as likely Hiroshige wanted to end this series having produced 110 plates already at the time; he resumed the original title on the publisher insisting to do so | |||
79 | Shiba Shinmei Shrine and Zōjōji Temple | Shiba Shinmei Shrine, Zōjōji | — | |||
80 | Kanasugi Bridge and Shibaura | Kanasugi Bridge | Print shows pilgrims of the Nichiren sect; brown and white cloths at bottom left contain abbreviation "Uoei" of the publisher's name Sakanaya Eikichi | |||
81 | Ushimachi in Takanawa | Tōkaidō, Edo Bay with daiba | Place name Takanawa meaning "high wheel" is symbolized by the wheel on the right and the rainbow | |||
82 | Moon Viewing | Edo Bay | Approximately same view as no. 83 | |||
83 | Shinagawa Susaki | Meguro River, Benten Shrine, Edo Bay with daiba | Establishment depicted in no. 82 might be the one cropped in the bottom left of this print | |||
84 | "Grandpa's Teahouse" in Meguro | Teahouse and teastall, Mount Fuji | — | |||
85 | Kinokuni Hill and Distant View of Akasaka and the Tameike Pond | outer Benkeibori moat of Edo Castle | People depicted are samurai | |||
86 | Naitō Shinjuku in Yotsuya | Naitō Shinjuku | Depiction of horse dung was criticized for being vulgar; Hiroshige likely alludes to the quote: "flowers thriving on the horse dung of Yotsuya" from the 1775 book Master Flashgold's Splendiferous Dream referring to the prostitutes of Shinjuku | |||
87 | Benten Shrine at the Inokashira Pond | Benten Shrine, Inokashira Pond | Depicts most western point of the series and location furthest away from central Edo | |||
88 | Takinogawa in Ōji | Takinogawa, Matsubashi Benten Shrine, Kongo-ji Temple | Original orange color of autumn color has turned brownish-black due to oxidation over time | |||
89 | "Moon Pine" in Ueno | Moon Pine, Shinobazu Pond, Benten Shrine | — | |||
90 | Night View of Saruwaka-machi | Saruwaka-chō street with theatres | Notable for the use of peoples' shadows giving the impression of puppets on a stage; the street was home to the Kabuki and marionette theatres | |||
91 | In the Akiba Shrine at Ukeji | Garden of Akiba Shrine | People depicted in the bottom left might be Hiroshige as a monk with painting utensils, his wife Yasu and their adopted daughter Tatsu according to Henry D. Smith | |||
92 | Mokuboji Temple and Vegetable Fields on Uchigawa Inlet | Uchigawa inlet of Sumida River, Uekiya Han'emon restaurant | The Mokuboji temple mentioned in the title is close but not depicted in this print; Tokugawa Iesada had visited the restaurant one month before publication of the print | |||
93 | Niijuku Ferry | Nakagawa River | Northeasternmost scene of the series confirmed by detailed depiction of the Edo side of the river and vagueness on the opposite bank | |||
94 | The Maple Trees at Mama, the Tekona Shrine and Tsugihashi Bridge | Edogawa River, Tekona Shrine, Tsugihashi Bridge | Original orange color of autumn color has turned brownish-black due to oxidation over time | |||
95 | View of Kōnodai and the Tone River | Tone River, Mount Fuji | — | |||
96 | Horie and Nekozane | branch of the Edogawa River, Horie and Nekozane villages, Edo Bay, Mount Fuji | One of the first five prints sanctioned by the censors | |||
97 | "Five Pines" and the Onagi Canal | Onagi Canal | Tree depicted is the only surviving of five pines and was at the time of Hiroshige known as "Five Pines"; Onagi Canal was in fact straight | |||
98 | Fireworks by Ryōgoku Bridge | Sumida River, Ryōgoku Bridge | — | |||
99 | Kinryūzan Temple in Asakusa | Kaminarimon, Hōzōmon and pagoda of Sensō-ji | Thought to commemorate the restoration of the pagoda two month prior to the publication of the print after damage suffered in the 1855 earthquake | |||
100 | Nihon Embankment and Yoshiwara | Nihon Embankment, Yoshiwara | — | |||
101 | Asakusa Ricefields and Torinomachi Festival | Yoshiwara teahouse, Chōkoku-ji temple, Mount Fuji | White cat represents courtesan who just finished her work; the festival of the rooster is hinted at by bear's paw hairpins resembling the good luck rakes carried by pilgrims in the background | |||
102 | Minowa, Kanasugi and Mikawashima | Minowa, Kanasugi and Mikawashima villages | — | |||
103 | Senju Great Bridge | Arakawa River, Senju Great Bridge | One of the first five prints sanctioned by the censors | |||
104 | Koume Embankment | Yotsugi dōri Canal | — | |||
105 | Oumayagashi | Sumida River | The two women are yotaka, the lowest class of prostitutes whose faces were often disfigured forcing them to apply very thick make-up | |||
106 | The Fukagawa Lumberyards | Fukagawa Lumberyards | Character for "sakana" on the umbrella refers to Sakanaya Eikichi, the publisher of the series | |||
107 | Fukagawa Susaki and Jūmantsubo | Mount Tsukuba | — | |||
108 | View of Shiba Coast | Hamarikyu Gardens, daiba, Edo Bay | One of the first five prints sanctioned by the censors | |||
109 | Minami Shinagawa and Samezu Coast | Edo Bay, Kaian-ji temple, Mount Tsukuba | Fishermen gather seaweed from submerged tree trunks | |||
110 | "Robe-Hanging Pine" at Senzoku no ike | Senzoku no ike, "Robe-Hanging Pine", Hachiman Shrine | One of the first five prints sanctioned by the censors; Nichiren is said to have hung his monk's robe on this pine while resting | |||
111 | Meguro Drum Bridge and Sunset Hill | Drum Bridge, Meguro River | Publication date of this and three other prints depicting Meguro coincides with the exhibition of a Fudō Myōō icon | |||
112 | Atagoshita and Yabu Lane | Yabu Lane, residences of the daimyōs Katō from Minakuchi and Hijikata from Komono, gate of Atago Shrine | Yabu Lane is to the far right beyond the bamboo thicket lining it | |||
113 | Aoi Slope outside Toranomon gate | Aoi Slope, moat | — | |||
114 | Bikuni Bridge in Snow | Bikuni Bridge, outer moat of Edo Castle | Believed to be created by Hiroshige II based on empty foreground, depiction of wall and schematic arrangement of snowflakes | |||
115 | The Takata Riding Grounds | Takata Riding Grounds | — | |||
116 | Sugatami Bridge, Omokage Bridge and Jariba at Takata | Kanda River, Omokage Bridge, Hikawa rice field, Hikawa Shrine, Sugatami Bridge | Notable for striking colors; Tokugawa Iesada crossed the Omokage Bridge in the publication month | |||
117 | View from the Hilltop of Yushima Tenjin Shrine | Yushima Tenjin Shrine, Shinobazu Pond, Kan'ei-ji | — | |||
118 | Kitsunebi on New Year's Night under the Enoki Tree near Ōji | Enoki tree | — | |||
119 | View of the Paulownia Imperiales Trees at Akasaka on a Rainy Evening | Tameike Pond | Work by Hiroshige II; not always included in collections of One Hundred Famous Views of Edo; variously thought to be replacement print for no. 52, The Paulownia Garden at Akasaka, although its woodblock prints show significant wear indicating age. Alternatively a work on commission by Sakanaya Eikichi, celebrating Hiroshige II's adoption of his name and Hiroshige's seal |