Japanese Woodblock Print, originally published 1857, this is a Showa era strike from recarved wood blocks, full title: "Asakusa Ricefields and Torinomachi Festival", No. 101 from the series "One Hundred Views of Edo"

SIZE IN INCHES: oban, 10.5 x 15.5 inches

LATE ON THIS DAY IN EARLY SPRING we sit on the second floor of one of the teahouses in front of Massaki Inari Shrine, savoring the dish known as dengaku small squares of skewered tofu brushed with a sweet miso sauce and grilled over charcoal, for which these restaurants were famous. This particular view may well be from Kinoeneya, the most famous of the dengaku establishments; it is at any rate an elegant setting, with a fresh arrangement of white camellias discreetly shown in section to the left, and the shoji screen of the round window is slid open rightward to reveal a perfectly framed view over the river.

We are on the west side of the Sumida River looking northeast. In the grove of trees to the right, we can make out the Torii and lanterns of Suijin Shrine. The river extending in the distance to the right is actually an inlet, known as Uchigawa, a former river course that leads to the temple of Mokuboji. The area on the far side, above which Mt. Tsukuba is visible, is the Sekiya no Sato of the title, a vague place-name applying to the countyside extending from here along the east bank of the river to Senju Bridge.

The Edo connoisseur might have read still more into this view than is immediately apparent. The view of plums blooming just outside the window would trigger an association with the tradition of visiting Inari shrines on the first day of the Horse in the Second Month, and one can thus imagine a festive throng at the shrine itself outside. But here the scene is completely serene, as if the curve of the window has neatly cut us off from the bustle outside to the left. More important to the connoisseur would doubtless have been the time of day, early evening, for in stopping here he would surely be on his way to the Yoshiwara, just a leisurely walk to the west. This shrine was intimately associated, in fact, with the Yoshiwara itself, since courtesans were among its most devout patrons. The popularity of Massaki Inari, and that of the dengaku restaurants within its precincts, began as a sudden fad in 1757 and was still strong in this print.

HIROSHIGE UTAGAWA or Ando Hiroshige (1797-1858) was a Japanese artist during the 19th century and is considered the last great master of the ukiyo-e movement. His approach was more poetic and ambient than the typical ukiyo-e style, and his innovative compositions were a great influence to Western painters, such as Vincent van Gogh. The term ukiyo-e translates to "pictures of the floating world" and refers to a genre of Japanese art with a wide span of imagery such as kabuki actors, folk tales, landscapes, and even erotica. This movement was critical in forming the Western perception of Japanese art.

Fine, no flaws