Hiroshige and the Tokaido Road

By Hana-Chan of Hokkaido

Hiroshige was a Japanese painter and a woodblock print maker. His prints focused on landscapes and “normal” people, unlike most other Japanese artists, who painted the rich merchants and daimyos.

Hiroshige (1797-1858)

Hiroshige (1797-1858)

Hiroshige was the most popular artist in Japan during the 19th century. He strongly influenced Western painters such as Degas and van Gogh. Hiroshige was also incredibly productive - he made about 5,400 prints in his lifetime.

Hiroshige (1797-1858)

One of Hiroshige’s most famous collections is Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido Road, which depicts people at all of the stations on the Tokaido Road.

Three Scenes from the Tokaido Road

The following three Hiroshige prints depict:

Nihombashi: The first station on the Tokaido Road (inside Edo, the military capital of Japan)

Shinagawa: The second station on the Tokaido Road, the first station that isn’t a big city.

Kyoto: The last station of the Tokaido Road, the imperial capital of Japan.

Nihombashi: The first station on the Tokaido Road

Shinagawa- The Second Station on the Tokaido Road

Kyoto: The last station on the Tokaido Road

Arigatoo Gozaimasu