Okazaki- The Yahagi Bridge c. 1840 - 1842

Utagawa Hiroshige created this woodblock print, Okazaki - The Yahagi Bridge, to capture a scene along the Tōkaidō road, a crucial route connecting Kyoto and Edo (now Tokyo) during the Edo period. The image is more than just a landscape; it’s a narrative of movement and social hierarchy. Hiroshige invites us to consider the lives of those who traversed this path. From the figures crossing the bridge, possibly merchants or travelers of some status, to the commoners on rafts below, each person carries their own story shaped by class and circumstance. Note how the bridge, a symbol of connection, also serves as a divide between these social strata. The figures are rendered with a sense of purpose and direction. Hiroshige masterfully uses perspective and composition to draw us into this moment, inviting reflection on the journeys we undertake and the paths we cross.