Sumiyoshi Bay at Naniwa

Catalog note / 解説

This uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige shows three women in a pleasure boat on a canal near the Sumiyoshi Shrine in southern Osaka. The expanse of Osaka Bay can be seen below the reddening sky beyond the beach and its row of thatched houses. Land reclamation projects have since moved the coastline further west, diminishing the once strong connection between the sea and the Sumiyoshi Shrine, whose four deities were believed to protect and bring prosperity to sailors and fishermen. The spiritual efficacy of the Sumiyoshi Shrine was complemented by the practical provision of tall lanterns, like the one visible here, to guide ships back to shore. These were something of a tourist a…