View of Boats Entering the Harbor at Tsukudajima c. 1832 - 1838

Utagawa Hiroshige created this woodblock print titled *View of Boats Entering the Harbor at Tsukudajima*. During the Edo period, artists like Hiroshige captured the daily lives and landscapes of Japan, reflecting a society experiencing both growth and rigid social hierarchies. The print offers a glimpse into the lives of the working class, who are essential to the economic vitality of the city. Dockworkers are depicted on the boats, the masts of which almost seem to create a barrier between us and the land. The presence of these laborers reminds us of the complex social structures of the time. Artists like Hiroshige play an important role in documenting these scenes, but also perhaps romanticizing them for consumption by a leisured class. There is something to be said for how gendered labor roles are depicted. Who is doing what kind of work and how is that being represented? This image serves as a reminder of how art can capture not just a scene, but the layers of social and economic dynamics that shape a society.