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Japan: Kanaya (金屋 / 金谷). Station 24 of 'The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō' (Hōeidō edition), Utagawa Hiroshige (1833-1834)

Japan: Kanaya (金屋 / 金谷). Station 24 of 'The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō' (Hōeidō edition), Utagawa Hiroshige (1833-1834)

Kanaya: Beyond the wide sandy flats of the river, across which a daimyo's cortège is being carried, rises a jumble of foot hills, in a crevice of which nestles a village. In the background a high range of curiously hump-shaped mountains, printed in graded black from colour-blocks only; golden sky at the top. A panoramic view of the landscape accentuates the expansive flat plain of the dry river bed. A variety of travellers attempt to wade across the river with the help of porters.

Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川 広重, 1797 – October 12, 1858) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, and one of the last great artists in that tradition. He was also referred to as Andō Hiroshige (安藤 広重) (an irregular combination of family name and art name) and by the art name of Ichiyūsai Hiroshige (一幽斎廣重).

The Tōkaidō (東海道 East Sea Road) was the most important of the Five Routes of the Edo period, connecting Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to Kyoto in Japan. Unlike the inland and less heavily travelled Nakasendō, the Tōkaidō travelled along the sea coast of eastern Honshū, hence the route's name.

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