Kusatsu c. 1832 - 1833

This woodblock print, made by Utagawa Hiroshige, captures a scene at Kusatsu, a station along the Tōkaidō road. Notice the group of men energetically carrying a covered palanquin. Palanquins, as mobile enclosures, remind us of the sedan chairs of Europe, symbols of status and confinement. The energetic display of the carriers, almost animalistic in their exertion, evokes a primal sense of labor and servitude. This scene bears a symbolic link to other cultural depictions of burden-bearing, such as Atlas carrying the world. Here, the palanquin transcends its practical function, tapping into the collective memory of social hierarchy and physical endurance. As this motif resurfaces across cultures, it evolves, adapting to new social landscapes, yet retaining its powerful echo of human effort and inequality. The image's emotional power resides in its subconscious evocation of these shared, historical experiences.