Hodogaya on the Tōkaidō

Hodogaya was the fourth station along the Tōkaidō road en route from Edo to Kyoto. This print probably shows travelers on nearby Shinanozaka Hill, famous for the pine trees flanking the road there. Mount Fuji is seen through the trees, whose irregular trunks create an interesting vertical screen. Hokusai rendered the figures in unusual detail. They form three groups, each traveling in a different manner. On the left are two palanquin bearers and their client, who sits comfortably bundled in the litter. One bearer wipes sweat from his brow while the other ties his shoelaces. Hokusai seems to have had particular sympathy for these men, who earned their living through backbreaking labor.