13 Utagawa Hiroshige 1797 – 1858 Fukuroi

Japan, 1852 (Edo period), 
from the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Gojusan tsugi / also known as the Figure Tokaido)

This lively and charming print was designed by the celebrated master Utagawa Hiroshige. It originates from his series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido" (Gojusan tsugi), specifically the 1852 edition widely known among collectors as the "Figure Tokaido" (Jinbutsu Tokaido). Unlike his earlier topographical focus, this series highlights the everyday life, humor, and human activity along the famous highway. The scene depicts the station of Fukuroi. The composition is boldly anchored and divided by a thick tree trunk in the foreground, around which a dynamic scene unfolds. A group of local men on the left lean back to pull on ropes, flying a kite in the wind. A passing traveler wearing a straw hat and carrying a wooden box on his back pauses by the tree to watch the spectacle with interest. The woodblock print is executed in the smaller, highly popular chūban format.