One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (in Japanese: 名所江戸百景, romanized: Meisho Edo Hyakkei) is a series of 119 ukiyo-e prints begun and largely completed by the Japanese artist Hiroshige (1797–1858). The prints were first published in serialized form in 1856–59, with Hiroshige II completing the series after Hiroshige's death. It was tremendously popular and much reprinted.
History
Drum bridge at Meguro and Sunset Hill, 1854 Hiroshige
Many publishing houses arose and grew, publishing both books and individual prints. A publisher's ownership of the physical woodblocks used to print a given text or image constituted the closest equivalent to a concept of "copyright" that existed at this time.
Woodblock prints such as these were produced in large numbers in 18th- and 19th-century Japan, created by artists, block cutters and printers working independently to the instructions of specialist publishers. Prints such as these were called ukiyo-e, which means 'pictures of the floating world'. This world was one of transient delights and changing fashions centred on the licensed pleasure districts and popular theatres found in the major cities of Japan.
In the years 1829–36, a seven volume illustrated guidebookPictures of famous places of Edo (江戸名所図会, Edo meishō zue) was published. It was begun by Saitō Yukio (1737–1799) in 1790 and illustrated very accurately by Hasegawa Settan (1778–1848). The pictures and text describe the important temples and shrines, but also the famous stores, restaurants, tea-houses etc. of Edo as well as the Sumida river and its channels and surrounding landscape.
Hiroshige, in several cases, makes use of this guide for his series of colour prints (see below and within the list). His series covered the place too which the guide didn’t describe, and he drew casual views of Edo.[1][2][3] His series is a work that inspired a number of Western artists, including Vincent van Gogh, to experiment with imitations of Japanese methods.[4] Elements of Hiroshige's work can be found in Western cinema and comics produced during the 20th-century, particularly The Adventures of Tintin, and they "profoundly influenced" the development of modernism.[5]
The series uses a vertical format which Hiroshige pioneered in his preceding series, Famous Views of the Sixty-odd Provinces, and was a departure from the horizontal format used in his previous major print series.
Location: place, ward[nb 2] and coordinates of the viewpoint
Image: a picture of the print
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
No.
Title
Depicted
Remarks
Date
Location
Image
—
Table of Contents
—
Abbreviated titles of prints arranged by season: two boxes at top are spring, fan-shaped box is summer, bottom right box autumn and bottom left are winter prints
—
—
1
Nihonbashi: Clearing after Snow (日本橋雪晴, Nihonbashi yukibare)
Street (today Kasumigaseki-zaka), guardhouse of residence of Asano, barracks of samurai of the Kuroda clan, Edo Bay
Kadomatsu gate pines and manzai dancers indicate a setting around New Year; kite with Japanese character for fish (Jap. "sakana") is a reference to the publisher of the series, Sakanaya Eikichi
Drum tower was associated with sumo tournaments held at Ekō-in; for marketing purposes the print appeared two months after a popular major exhibition of temple treasures at Ekō-in
Flower Park and Dangozaka Slope in Sendagi (千駄木団子坂花屋敷, Sendagi Dangozaka Hanayashiki)
Cherry orchard, Pavilion of the Violet Spring (Shisentei)
The print is a reference to the reconstruction of the Shisentai after the 1855 earthquake and to Tokugawa Iesada's visit to the park two months prior to publication
A year after Hiroshige designed the print, the Buddha in the Amida Hall at the top was due to be exhibited publicly for the first time in 13 years; in a pun Hiroshige covered the hall of this "secret Buddha" with the title cartouche
Scene depicts an emissary from Enpuku-ji temple who on every third day of the year performs a ceremony at Atago Shrine for good fortune, health and success and to avert hunger and disease; the large rice paddle in his hand symbolizes abundance, the seaweed around his neck was distributed after the ceremony among the faithful who used it to brew an infusion against colds
Fuji replica erected in 1812 was at 12 m (39 ft) the tallest in Edo; this print was incorrectly placed in the spring section of the table of contents since the depicted cherry trees are in autumn foliage; spelling of "Fuji" in the title as (不二, lit. "not two") is thought to be a pun on the doubling of the mountain
Depicts a popular viewpoint of Edo Bay; according to legend, Minamoto no Yoshiie hung his armour on this tree in 1062; Hiroshige adapts the shape of the tree so that only a giant could have hung his armour on it
Palace Hill in Shinagawa (品川御殿やま, Shinagawa Gotenyama)
Palace Hill
Depicts both a famous cherry blossom spot and the destruction of the landscape after removal of earth; the earth was used to build ramparts (daiba) in the sea following Commodore Perry's arrival in Edo Bay in 1853
Both in color and theme this print is related to print no. 27 (Plum Orchard in Kamada); copied by Vincent van Gogh under the title Japonaiserie: Flowering Plum Tree
Night View of Matsuchiyama and the San'ya Canal (真乳山山谷堀夜景, Matsuchiyama San'yabori yakei)
Sumida River, San'ya Canal inlet, Yumeiro and Takeya restaurants, Matsuchiyama hill, Shōten Shrine
Only image in the series to depict a large human figure, purportedly the favourite geisha of Hiroshige; Shōten Shrine on the top of the hill has sexual connotations
View From Massaki of Suijin Shrine, Uchigawa Inlet, and Sekiya (真崎辺より水神の森内川関屋の里を見る図, Massaki atari yori Suijin no mori Uchigawa Sekiya no sato wo miru zu)
Published two months prior to the reopening of Yoshiwara after it burnt down in the 1855 earthquake; Hiroshige may have submitted this design and title following the suicide of two courtesans and their two lovers at dawn of the 19th day of the 4th month of 1857
Koinobori carp streamers place the scene around the Boy's festival on the 5th day of the 5th month, the same month as the print was approved by the censors
The Sumiyoshi Festival at Tsukudajima (佃しま住吉の祭, Tsukudajima Sumiyoshi no matsuri)
Tsukudajima Island
The Sumiyoshi Festival is held on the 29th of the sixth month, i.e., in the month prior to publication of this print; writer of the inscription is identified on the banner as the creator of the table of contents of this series, Seikengū Gengyo
Reed-covered sandbank alludes to the artificial Nakazu island, location of a famous 18th-century pleasure district that was demolished in the course of the Kansei Reforms
Depicts pilgrimage to Mount Ōyama, the pilgrim's return from the mountain is shown in no. 76; names in title are synonymous names for the depicted section of the Sumida River; in later prints, the title was simplified to: In Boats at Ryōgoku with a distant View of Asakusa
Komakata Hall and Azuma Bridge (駒形堂吾嬬橋, Komakatadō Azumabashi)
Komakata Hall, Sumida River, Azuma Bridge, Asakusa district
Lesser cuckoo (hototogisu) and Komakata Hall in the print allude to a 17th-century love poem attributed to Takao II, courtesan and lover of Date Tsunamune: Are you now, my love, near Komakata? Cry of the cuckoo!"[nb 3]
Open Garden at the Hachiman Shrine in Fukagawa (深川八まん山ひらき, Fukagawa Hachiman yamahiraki)
Garden at Hachiman Shrine
Print shows both azaleas and cherry trees in blossom which is unnatural for Edo; hill in the back is one of many miniature Mount Fuji that were scattered all over Edo
Kanji on first two white-blue fabrics reads "sakana" and is a reference to the publisher Sakanaya Eikichi, last two white-blue fabrics contain Hiroshige's monogram
Like no. 79, this print has the changed series title: Entertaining Supplements to the One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, as likely Hiroshige wanted to end this series having produced 110 plates already at the time; he resumed the original title on the publisher insisting to do so
Depiction of horse dung was criticized for being vulgar; Hiroshige likely alludes to the quote: "flowers thriving on the horse dung of Yotsuya" from the 1775 book Master Flashgold's Splendiferous Dream referring to the prostitutes of Shinjuku
In the Akiba Shrine at Ukeji (請地秋葉の境内, Ukechi Akiba no keinai)
Garden of Akiba Shrine
People depicted in the bottom left might be Hiroshige as a monk with painting utensils,[nb 5] his wife Yasu and their adopted daughter Tatsu according to Henry D. Smith
Mokuboji Temple and Vegetable Fields on Uchigawa Inlet (木母寺内川御前栽畑, Mokubōji Uchigawa Gozensaibata)
Uchigawa inlet of Sumida River, Uekiya Han'emon restaurant
The Mokuboji temple mentioned in the title is close but not depicted in this print; Tokugawa Iesada had visited the restaurant one month before publication of the print
White cat represents courtesan who just finished her work; the festival of the rooster is hinted at by bear's paw hairpins resembling the good luck rakes carried by pilgrims in the background
Believed to be created by Hiroshige II based on empty foreground, depiction of wall and schematic arrangement of snowflakes. Sign on left advertises "mountain whale" meat, referring to wild boar.[5]
View of the Paulownia Imperiales Trees at Akasaka on a Rainy Evening (赤坂桐畑雨中夕けい, Akasaka kiribatake uchū yūkei)
Tameike Pond
Work by Hiroshige II; not always included in collections of One Hundred Famous Views of Edo; variously thought to be replacement print for no. 52, The Paulownia Garden at Akasaka, although its woodblock prints show significant wear indicating age. Alternatively a work on commission by Sakanaya Eikichi, celebrating Hiroshige II's adoption of his name and Hiroshige's seal
^The main order used in the table is according to (Smith (1986). One Hundred Famous Views of Edo.) and follows by reading the fan-shaped box for summer on the table of contents print in the way of "scattered writing" (chirashigaki), i.e. by grouping the titles in sets of three. The alternative order given in parentheses is generally found in early 20th century sources and follows by reading the fan shaped-box for the summer titles in the normal way, i.e. (vertical) line by line.
^For views that are not located within the modern Tokyo, the prefecture and city are listed.
^In Japanese poetry the cry of the cuckoo is a symbol of longing and loneliness.
^Its mouth (into Edo Bay) is not depicted in the print
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