Title : Daimyo’s Departure at Shinagawa (Station #2)

Artist : Utagawa Hiroshige

Date : c. 1833 - 1834

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Source : Honolulu Museum of Art
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Description : In this print, Feudal Lords (daimyo) parade from their individual fiefs to the capital city of Edo. The shogunal government fully instituted the alternate attendance policy (sankin kotai) after 1630. It required daimyo to spend one year in their own province and one year in the capital of Edo. They were required to bring their best retainers with them, while wives and children were to remain in the capital fulltime as hostages. Daimyo not only had to maintain their domains, but they also had to pay for their family's residence and expenses in Edo. The processions alone were very expensive, as it was important to create an impression of power and wealth as they entered the capital. The expenses of alternate attendance constituted upwards of 70 % of a Daimyo's income, severely limiting their ability to amass great wealth or build large armies. Another result of the alternate attendance policy was the rapid increase in the population of Edo, which stood at just under one million at the end of the 18th century. (2008)

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