Kameyama: Clear Weather after Snow

Kameyama and Kanbara (on view nearby) are the only snow scenes in the Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō Road series, and both are greatly admired. Kanbara conveys the faint light of a snowstorm, while Kameyama pictures a bright, clear day following a snowfall. Blue shading along the print’s top edge and pink shading at the horizon provide a striking contrast to the snow-laden, monochromatic landscape. Ascending the steep slope, a daimyo procession approaches the wooden gate outside Kameyama, a castle town presided over by the lord of the Kameyama clan. The soldiers’ blue coats and yellow sedge hats are visible through the snowy trees. Next to the gate, a stone rampart topped by a watchtower serves to fortify the town’s entrance and guard the clan’s stronghold.