No.Totsuka 1847 - 1852

This is "No. Totsuka," a woodblock print made by Utagawa Hiroshige in 19th-century Japan. Part of the series *Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō,* it captures a moment along the well-traveled road connecting Edo, now Tokyo, with Kyoto. Hiroshige wasn't just creating pretty pictures. These prints met the demands of a growing merchant class eager to experience the world. Woodblock prints catered to those who couldn't afford original paintings. They were a relatively inexpensive and accessible art form, reflecting a shift in the art world, away from exclusive patronage and towards broader consumption. The Tōkaidō road itself was an institution. It supported a booming internal economy and a cultural fascination with travel. Prints like this were souvenirs. They also acted as guidebooks. We can use historical documents, such as travel logs and economic surveys, to dig deeper into the rich social context that shaped these prints and their significance. They help us understand the reciprocal relationship between art, commerce, and the everyday lives of people in 19th-century Japan.