Title : Ubumochiya Restaurant and Relay Station at Kusatsu (Station #53)

Artist : Utagawa Hiroshige

Date : c. 1833 - 1834

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Source : Honolulu Museum of Art
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Description : The fifty-third station on the Tökaidö, Kusatsu is still a famous hot spring spot located in what is currently Gunma Prefecture. In the foreground porters carry people in palanquins along a wide street, while in the background numerous travelers relax and enjoy tea and rice cakes in a spacious teahouse. It is believed that Hiroshige accompanied a warlord’s procession from Edo to Kyoto in 1832 to pay homage to Emperor Kömei, Japan’s one hundred twenty-first emperor, who ascended the throne the year before and reigned until just before the Meiji Restoration. The prints in the Tökaidö series are said to be based on sketches produced by Hokusai during this trip. However, many scholars have challenged this theory, and its historical accuracy remains a source of controversy. ("The Tôkaidô Road: Connecting Japan" exhibition Nov/26/2009-Jan/24/2010)

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