Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) | Night View of Saruwaka-machi (Saruwaka-machi yoru no kei) | Edo period, 19th century

Depicted here is a bustling evening scene of Saruwaka-machi - an Edo street which was lined with kabuki theatres shown here along the right-hand side of the street, with tea-houses and restaurants along the left-hand side of the street. Lanterns are lit and glow red in the moonlight. This design is noted for its use of Western-style perspective and cast shadows; devices rarely used in such a prominent way in Japanese prints.

For a similar impression in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession number 11.35840, go to:

https://collections.mfa.org/objects/460257