The Shichiri Ferry Crossing at Atsuta in Owari Province

Catalog note / 解説

In this 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design Hiroshige depicts the view from the coast. That coast is now a river in an area of reclaimed land in the southern part of Nagoya. The gatelike structure to the left of the two rather statuesque courtesans marks the beginning of the approach to the Atsuta Jingu Shrine. It lies a little less than a kilometre to the north-east. This major Shinto shrine enjoyed the official patronage of the Tokugawa shogunate. It allegedly enshrines the sacred sword - the 'Kusanagi no Tsurugi' - that forms part of the imperial regalia. The Shichiri ('seven leagues') of the title is the distance of a sea journey. It started at the embarkation point you see here and end…