Hiroshige's "Fifty-Three Stages of the Tokaido"

Hiroshige (1797-1858) was one of the most successful and prolific artists of his time. The "Fifty-Three Stages of the Tokaido" was, and remains, his most popular work. In this series, Hiroshige represents a variety of landscapes along Japan's Eastern Sea Route, from Edo (modern Tokyo) to Kyoto. Each of his scenes is uniquely defined not only by mountains and rivers, but also by the artist's ability to represent particular atmospheric conditions and to suggest moods. Through these images, Hiroshige invites his viewer to journey along with his travelers.

Inspired by Japan's rich artistic traditions, Hiroshige was the first to combine depictions of famous sites with intimate genre scenes. Within a framework of great scenic beauty, he often inserts humorous episodes of daily activities along the road. He depicts many of the realities of travel, including the leisure industry with developed along the road.

Here we invite you to travel through some of the most engaging and characteristic scnees of Hiroshige's Tokaido.