Nakahara in Sagami Province (Soshu Nakahara)

Catalog note / 解説

A man at the far right, perhaps a shop clerk (tedai ), pauses on the riverbank to admire the view of Mount Fuji. He wears a typical townsman's kimono with crisp narrow blue and white stripes. The lower part of his kimono is tucked up at the waist for easy walking, showing the kimono's solid blue lining. On his back, he bears an umbrella and a large bundle wrapped in a green cotton furoshiki. A furoshiki can be of any size. A simple square cloth, it wraps almost any object, and its tied ends make a good handle for carrying. When not in use, it conveniently folds into a tiny space. Hokusai and Hiroshige portray travelers carrying furoshiki bundles on the back, at the front or side, tied aroun…