Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858)
Suruga-chō
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
(22697)

Several artworks in the adjacent room discuss the construction of miniature replicas of Mount Fuji as expressions of Fujikō, the worship of Mount Fuji as a divine entity. The layout of the capital itself, in fact, resulted from similar influences. This street in Suruga-chō district, for example, was oriented to offer the clearest view of the volcano, and thereby became one of the city’s "famous views."

While this print was clearly intended to convey the religious sentiment of the city’s residents, it should be noted that the entire lower half of the print is dominated by secular references to Echigoya, a kimono shop founded in 1673. By 1904, when it changed its name to Mitsukoshi, it had indisputably become the most commercially successful department store in Japan.

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