The master of the Tōkaidō
Hiroshige designed his first series of woodcuts of the Tōkaidō in 1832. In 53 prints, he depicted the successive stations (rest stops) along the route.
He made dozens of variations on this series right up until the end of his life, and these were perpetually reprinted. Hiroshige continued to find new perspectives – no two prints are the same.
Utagawa Hiroshige, 五十三次名所図会 四十五 石薬師 義経さくら 範頼の祠, 1855
Utagawa Hiroshige, 五十三次名所図会 十二 三嶋 三嶋大明神一の鳥居, 1855
Tourist attraction
An enormous market blossomed for prints of the Tōkaidō road. In the 19th century, the route grew into a popular destination for Japanese tourists. The countless hotels, tea rooms, souvenir stalls and even brothels along the route catered to their every need.
Travel guides shepherded the tourists along the numerous highlights and attractions, such as the vantage points on Mount Fuji and the Nihon bridge. Visitors often purchased Japanese prints of these locations to take home as souvenirs.
Utagawa Hiroshige, 五十三次名所図会 三 川崎鶴見川 生麦の里, 1855
Utagawa Kunisada, 東海道名所風景（ここ：東海道） 日本橋, 1863