The fifty-three stages of the Tokaido

"The woodblock print represents for most westerners the epitome of Japanese art. Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), renowned for his work in ukiyo-e (woodblock prints), rose to fame first in Japan and later in the West with his ingenious portrayal of the famous Tokaido, the national highway connecting Tokyo with the capitol at Kyoto and the western provinces. Spotted along the way were fifty-three stations in small villages where lodgings and refreshment were available. Hiroshige named his prints after these stations. These full-color woodblock prints first made their appearance in 1834. Hiroshige showed the Tokaido in other later series, but it is in the original group, reproduced in the present volume, that the color and excitement of the road are best portrayed. Warriors, tradesmen, royal couriers, ladies of the pleasure houses--all are shown with great detail and charm. The prints showing each "stage" of the Tokaido are here presented only slightly small than their original size as produced by Hiroshige, along with a map of the entire route. Ichitaro Kondo has provided a text for each of the prints and Charles S. terry has translated the entire work into English."--Publisher's description.