Rain at Sanmai Bridge in Hakone

In 1880, Kiyochika took a trip to Hakone, a popular resort town near Tokyo. Located deep in the mountains, Hakone is known for its beautiful scenery. During the trip, he drew a number of sketches and eventually made eleven landscape prints based on them. Some of the prints bear dates, indicating the month and day when they were sketched. This print, depicting an evening shower in summer, is inscribed early July, 4:00 pm. The bold white lines slanting over the wooden bridge show the intensity of the rain. Across the bridge, there is a small village shadowed by dark clouds. Standing silhouetted against the gray background is a tall tree with white flowers in full bloom, a further indication of the season.