Image: "Shinagawa: Sunrise", 2nd station, by Utagawa Hiroshige, Japan, Edo period, 1834, woodblock print

An exhibition showcasing reproductions of the complete series of Hiroshige's The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō will be on view at Yume Japanese Gardens from the end of March through May.

Iconic Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) was one of the great masters of the Japanese landscape woodblock print. Between 1833 and 1834, he produced a series of prints illustrating the travelers' main stopping points along the imperial road called the Tōkaidō ("the Eastern Sea Road"), which connected the Shogun’s administrative capital in Edo (modern Tōkyō) with the emperor’s palace in Kyōto.
By Hiroshige’s time, the road was a popular scenic route, marked by many temples, shrines, shops, and inns, which he made famous through his prints.

The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō series is a timeless masterpiece of vibrant scenes representing daimyō's (noble feudal lord's) lifestyle, realistic images of ordinary people's daily life, and seasonal landscapes.
These prints served as travel souvenirs and guide book, as well as advertisement to would-be travelers. 

Free for members and with regular Gardens admission.