Hiroshige. Mikhail Uspensky

was used to describe a fairly extensive area at the foot of Ueno Hill. A group of women carrying parasols is making its way up the middle of the hill. Most probably they are on a trip to admire the cherry blossoms at Kanyeiji. The women are followed by three samurai who wear European-style trousers. This trend began in the late 1850s and became almost the norm by the next decade, the start of the Meiji period (1868–1912) which saw the rapid penetration of western culture into all spheres of Japanese life.

      Hirokoji Street in the Shitaya District

      Shitaya hirokoji

      September 1856

      Colour woodblock print, 36 × 23 cm

      Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

      Nippori was part of one of the quietest areas of the Eastern Capital, lying between Ueno and another hill. The name means “the village of life, day in, day out”, suggesting a calm, unhurried existence. Until the 1670s and 1680s, there was nothing remarkable about the place, but then several existing monasteries and Shinto shrines moved here and others were constructed. Hiroshige takes us to the Shushoin monastery belonging to the Nichiren school, which was founded in 1575 and moved to Nippori in 1668. The Shushoin monastery was a favourite place of relaxation among the inhabitants of Edo.

      Landscaped Gardens at the Nippori Temple

      Nippori jiin-no rinsen

      February 1857

      Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

      Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

      Here we find ourselves in the grounds of the Shinto shrine Suwa-myojin, which was believed to protect two neighbouring places, Yanaka and Nippori. The latter appears in the print: a fairly steep slope leads to a group of buildings half-hidden by masses of cherry blossom. The Suwa-myojin shrine was founded in 1205. Later visitors were, to a large extent, attracted by the views to be had from the Suwanodai promontory. It is one of these views that Hiroshige presents.

      Suwa Bluff at Nippori

      Nippori Suwanodai

      May 1856

      Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

      Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

      It is believed that the name Sendagi – “1000 Bundles of Firewood” – came from the trade practised by the local peasants: they cut firewood in the surrounding woods and then brought it to Edo, 1000 bundles at a time. This formerly rural area was only incorporated into the city in 1745.

      In the upper part of the print a steep flight of steps, flanked by stone lamps and artificial rocks, leads to a tall pavilion. Space in this print is divided by stylised clouds like those frequently found in ancient Japanese painting.

      The Pavilion of Flowers on Dangozaka Slope, the Sendagi Quarter

      Sendagi Dangozaka Hanayashiki

      May 1856

      Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

      Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

      Admiring the cherry blossoms was one of the most traditional and popular pastimes for the Japanese in the nineteenth century and remains so today. Four places were most frequented for hanami: Ueno, Gotenyama, the bank of the Sumidagawa and Asukayama, the hill depicted in this print. The name of the hill came from a small Shinto shrine that was founded as early as 1321–1324. Despite being over three miles from the centre of the city, it became one of the most popular places to spend time in the bosom of nature, particularly in the cherry blossom season.

      The View North from Asukayama Hill

      Asukayama kita-no chobo

      May 1856

      Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

      Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

      Oji Inari-jinja was a well-preserved ancient shrine, dating back to before the Edo period. Inari, originally a harvest deity, was later redefined as the bringer of prosperity and success in one’s affairs, including commerce. Once a year, during the temple festival on the 1st Day of the Horse in the Second Month, the shrine was associated with something else. The day was known as the kite fair (tako-no ichi). This festival also had an agricultural origin, as a ritual to protect the coming harvest.

      The Inari Shrine at Oji

      Oji Inari-no yashiro

      September 1857

      Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

      Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

      In 1657, this dam was built north of Asukayama for irrigation purposes. During the Edo period, the monastery enjoyed the particular attention of the Tokugawa family, but in the Meiji period it was abandoned and today only two of its buildings still exist. The water spilling over the dam was commonly referred to as Otaki, “the great waterfall”. In actual fact, it was considerably more modest in size than is shown here. Possibly not only compositional considerations, but also the popular name prompted Hiroshige to exaggeration.

      The Dam on the Otonashi River at Oji, popularly known as “The Great Waterfall”

      Oji Otonashigawa entai sezoku Otaki to tonau

      February 1857

      Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

      Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

      This ferry across the Sumidagawa was in the northern outskirts of Edo. It served pilgrims seeking to visit the Zenkoji monastery.

      Once, a monk named Teison was visited in his sleep by the Amida Buddha venerated in Zenkoji (Shinano province), who instructed the monk to make an exact image of him. Teison moulded a sculptural group of three figures: the Amida Buddha and two accompanying bodhisattvas, Kannon and Seishi. This work was completed in 1195 and the composition was placed in a temple, which became known as Zenkoji.

      The Zenkoji Monastery by the Kawaguchi Ferry

      Kawaguchi-no watashi Zenkoji

      February 1857

      Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

      Gift of Anna Ferris, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

      Mount Atago stands to the east of Yamanote, an aristocratic section of the city containing the mansions of daimyo and high-ranking samurai. It got its name from the Atago-jinja or Atago-gongen shrine constructed on its summit. The most famous and popular festival at Atago-jinja was called Bishamon-matsuri and dedicated to Bishamon-ten, the guardian of the North in the Buddhist pantheon and one of the seven gods of happiness in popular belief.

      Mount Atago, the Shiba District

      Shiba Atagoyama

      August 1857

      Colour woodblock print, 36 × 24 cm

      Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

      Until