Four Stations: Okabe, Fujieda, Shimada and Kanaya, from the series Famous Views of the Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō Road (Tōkaidō gojÅ«san eki yonshuku meisho) c. 1830 - 1835

Editor: This woodblock print, titled "Four Stations: Okabe, Fujieda, Shimada and Kanaya," is part of Utagawa Kuniyoshi's series on the Tōkaidō Road. I’m struck by how it captures the vastness of the landscape, almost as if we’re glimpsing a memory. What do you make of it? Curator: Oh, it’s a travelogue of sorts, isn’t it? Imagine Kuniyoshi, not just depicting places, but the very act of journeying. The figures, small against the panorama, become us, contemplating our own paths, both literal and… well, metaphorical! Editor: Metaphorical journeys, I like that! So, it's more than just a pretty picture? Curator: Exactly! It is about those crossroads we all face. Isn’t it wonderful how a simple print can evoke such profound wanderlust? Editor: It definitely gives you a new perspective on seeing art!