Kanaya
1855
This lively woodblock print captures the chaotic crossing of the Ōi River at the Kanaya station of the famous Tōkaidō road. In the Edo period, the shogunate forbade building bridges here to protect Edo from attacks, forcing everyone—from high-ranking officials seated in palanquins to peasants carrying boxes on their heads—to rely on teams of sturdy porters to wade them across the wide, shallow water. Hiroshige masterfully fills the scene with character, showing the porters' strained expressions and the bustling activity of the river, all set against a serene backdrop of distant mountains and a soft, sunset-hued sky.
- Technique
- woodblock print
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