TOKAIDO GOJU-SAN-TSUGI c. 19th century

Editor: This is Utagawa Hiroshige's *Tokaido Goju-san-tsugi*. It's part of a series, and the scene feels so vibrant and alive. What sociopolitical narratives are embedded in this piece? Curator: This print encapsulates a romanticized view of travel, but let's consider who is visible and who is not. The laborers carrying heavy loads, the figures at the tea house – their experiences are central to understanding the Tokugawa era's socio-economic structure. Editor: So, it’s not just a pretty picture? Curator: Exactly. It invites us to think about the labor that enabled the leisure represented. Where do you see the intersections of class and gender playing out? Editor: I hadn’t considered that before. Now I see the power dynamics more clearly. Curator: It's about using art to question the systems at play. Editor: Thanks, that really changed my perspective.