Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858)
Blossoms on the Tama River Embankment
From the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868), 1856
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Gift of James A. Michener, 1991
(22734)

Though described in the upper right cartouche as a natural waterway, what Hiroshige depicts here is in fact the Tama River Aqueduct, which carried drinking water from the Tama River, 30 miles to the west of Edo, into the city.

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