Hiroshige & Eisen

The Kisokaido route through Japan was ordained by the country's then ruler Tokugawa Ieyasu in the early 1600s, who decreed that staging posts be installed along the length of the arduous passage between Edo (present day Tokyo) and Kyoto. Inns, shops, and restaurants were established to provide sustenance and lodging to weary travelers. In 1835, renowned woodblock print artist Keisai Eisen was commissioned to create a series of works to chart the Kisokaido journey. After producing 24 prints, Eisen was replaced by Utagawa Hiroshige, who completed the series of 70 prints in 1843.