Hakone 1841 - 1842

This woodblock print, "Hakone," was crafted by Utagawa Hiroshige, capturing a scene along the Tōkaidō Road. Notice the stark, upright marker post, inscribed with Japanese characters. Such markers, reminiscent of ancient boundary stones, serve not only as guides but as silent witnesses to the passage of time. They echo the herms of classical antiquity. These were pillars topped with a head, often of Hermes, which stood at crossroads. Like the herms, the marker here divides and denotes space. It’s a symbolic threshold, inviting reflection on journeys undertaken and paths yet to be trod. The emotional resonance of wayfaring and passage is deeply embedded in the collective psyche, a theme that has resurfaced in art across millennia, each time infused with new cultural significance.