Previous   Next
Home » Images » 0037 Pictures From History » CPA0018243

Japan: Narumi (鳴海). Station 40 of 'The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō' (Hōeidō edition), Utagawa Hiroshige (1833-1834)

Japan: Narumi (鳴海). Station 40 of 'The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō' (Hōeidō edition), Utagawa Hiroshige (1833-1834)

Narumi: A woman carried in a kago and two others walking in front, followed by a man on horseback and two attendants, passing two large open shops in the main street, where dyed cloths are sold. On the fascia over the front of the nearer shop is the monogram Hiro in the centre, and that of the publisher, Take-no-Uchi, each side of it.

This station and the nearby town of Arimatsu are both famous for the production of tie-dyed fabrics which were suitable for making yukata, the kimono worn in summer and after a bath.

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.

Quick links to other images in this gallery: