Ejiri, Miho enbō

From the famous series Fifty-three Stations of the Tøkaidø Road, this print represents Ejiri, the eighteenth station on the road, in modern-day Shizuoka Prefecture. The image shows a view of Miho, known for its pine-covered sandbar that projects into Suruga Bay. Looking eastward, towards Mount Fuji, Hiroshige depicted the evergreen pine grove as if floating on the bay. The white sails of the boats that crowd the bay make a beautiful contrast to the deep blue water. In the foreground is Shimizu, one of the busiest ports in Japan at that time. By showing many boats moored bow to bow and the rooftops of closely clustered buildings, Hiroshige hints at the liveliness of this port city.