SMALL SERIES OF THE 53 STATIONS OF THE TOKAIDO. "KANAYA: OIGAWA ENGAN" STATION NO. 25 c. 19th century

Curator: Utagawa Hiroshige's "Kanaya: Oi Riverbank" captures a vivid scene from the series "53 Stations of the Tokaido." The woodblock print presents a bustling river crossing. Editor: The immediate impact is the sheer physicality of it all. The labor is palpable. You can almost feel the weight and exertion of the workers as they ferry people across. Curator: Absolutely, the print underscores the material conditions of travel in feudal Japan. The river crossing wasn't just a picturesque moment but a site of intense labor. The woodblock printing process itself involved a collaboration of artists, carvers, and printers. Editor: And we can't ignore the power dynamics at play. The figures being carried are clearly of higher status, highlighting the socioeconomic structures embedded in this everyday scene. This image really prompts conversations around class, labor, and mobility. Curator: Indeed, Hiroshige’s work allows us to consider how social stratifications were negotiated through the very act of crossing a river, and also how the prints were produced and circulated as commodities. Editor: It's striking how much this image reveals about the realities of travel and class. Curator: Yes, seeing it allows us to reflect on its cultural context and how we interpret labor today.