CATALOGUE 54. Fuji and Edo seen from Nihonbashi, by Katsushika Hokusai (Forrer 1991).

Warehouses flank both sides of the river, some with small piers to facilitate unloading cargo vessels. Merchants crowd the bridge. There are two types of vessels pictured: oshiokuri, here being used for cargo transport, and a single sharply curved one, possibly a tsuchi-bune, piled high with cargo. A plank is laid on top of the packages to allow the sailors to walk easily from stem to stern. All are being poled along the waterway. The scene is similar to Kiyonaga’s New Year’s Scene at Nihon-bashi (Cat. 100).


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