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Japan: Sakanoshita (坂ノ下). Station 48 of 'The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō' (Hōeidō edition), Utagawa Hiroshige (1833-1834)

Japan: Sakanoshita (坂ノ下). Station 48 of 'The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō' (Hōeidō edition), Utagawa Hiroshige (1833-1834)

Sakanoshita: Travellers resting at an open teahouse, looking across a ravine to the rocky heights opposite; blue hills beyond, in colour blocks only.

In olden times, the beauty of the rugged mountain ranges in this area attracted many visitors from Kyoto. Travellers enjoyed the spectacular view of the mountain from a teahouse located on the mountain pass.

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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