Numazu- Making the Famous Dried Fish c. 1841 - 1844

Utagawa Hiroshige’s woodblock print depicts a scene of everyday life in Numazu, Japan, as people produce the region’s famous dried fish. This print belongs to a series illustrating the Tōkaidō Road, the main route connecting Edo, now Tokyo, with Kyoto. The Tōkaidō Road, and images like this one, gained prominence in the Edo period due to developments in transportation infrastructure that allowed for increased travel and trade. Hiroshige’s series tapped into the demand for images of the road’s various locations and their local industries. The woodblock printing process also underwent significant changes at this time, which contributed to the style of this work. Multiple blocks were used to create the colors and details of the composition. Numazu was a popular location for travelers, and it’s something of a tourist scene: people mill about taking in the views of the bay, while others are hard at work. The print gives us insight into the social structures that supported this commercial activity. Understanding this print requires us to research the economic context of the Edo period, the history of the Tōkaidō Road, and the technical innovations of Japanese woodblock printing. In doing so, we realize that art doesn't exist in a vacuum.