Japan Art and the Kisokaidō Road: Eisen and Hiroshige
Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
![](https://moderntokyotimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Hiroshige-Nagakubo-1837.jpg)
Ando Hiroshige (1797-1858) and Keisai Eisen (1790-1848) completed the Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaidō (Nakasendō) during the late stages of the Edo Period.
![](https://moderntokyotimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Eisen-Magome-Station-1835.jpg)
Prints one, three, and five in this article are by Hiroshige – and prints two and four are by Eisen. Accordingly, both printmakers provide a glimpse into the 1830s. Therefore, the series not only highlights everyday life – workers, local people, and travelers – but also shows the development of the area connected to the famous Kisokaidō Road.
![](https://moderntokyotimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Hiroshige-Annaka-1830s.jpg)
It is easy to imagine how people were excited to view prints concerning the Kisokaidō Road and the coastal road of the Tōkaidō Road. After all, it also provided a glimpse into their world – during this period of Japanese history.
![](https://moderntokyotimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Eisen-Ina-River-Bridge-1830s.jpg)
The Kisokaidō Road linked Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to the imperial city of Kyoto. Hence, these prints also highlight how the Meiji Period (1868-1912) developed the infrastructure that supported the power control mechanisms of the Edo Period.
![](https://moderntokyotimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Hiroshige-Yawata-1835-38.jpg)
Overall, many rivers, mountains, and bridges are illuminated by Eisen and Hiroshige in these stunning prints of the Kisokaidō Road.
![](http://moderntokyotimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/mtt-modern-new-1.png)
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