Fukagawa Hachiman Shrine in Edo c. 1770s

Utagawa Toyoharu’s "Fukagawa Hachiman Shrine in Edo" presents us with a bustling scene rendered in woodblock print, inviting us to consider the spiritual and social life of Edo period Japan. Dominating the composition is the torii gate, the iconic symbol of Shinto shrines, marking the transition from the profane to the sacred. The torii gate echoes a similar structure from ancient Greek art, the propylon, a monumental gateway to sacred spaces. The gate leads us into a space teeming with life, a reminder of the shared human need for spiritual connection. Consider the color red that marks sacred spaces and certain figures. Red is a color which, across cultures, evokes complex emotional states. Is this to signal protection and vitality? Or perhaps, does it symbolize the potent energy of life and ritual? These symbols and archetypes persist, surfacing in our collective consciousness and influencing the human experience across epochs.