When Meguro was a Green Hill 2 views by Hiroshige

#Hiroshige seems to have been like many #Edo residents fond of visiting #Meguro

#japaneseprints #landscapeprints

When Meguro was a Green Hill 

The building in the lower right corner is a teahouse. Nowadays I've read Meguro is more noted for coffee and laneways with small shops. 

Another view by Hiroshige. The river is still there though partly canalized and smaller. 

How things have changed over the years and centuries! 

There are other prints by Hiroshige and others on this theme. These seem to be 2 of the best?

Ochanomizu Two

#ochanomizu #edo #tokyo #japaneseprints

Once upon a time only a century and a few more decades Ochanomizu had NO tall buildings!

This is Hiroshige's view of it. Mid 19th century

A mid 20th century view.

How things have changed!

Ochanomizu One

#ochanomizu #japaneseprints #edo #tokyo #history #megalopolis #ukiyo-e

Thanks to the Japanese love of landscapes and the residents of Tokugawa Edo loving scenes of their own city we have many surviving images of Tokyo from the 18th century to this one as prints!

One locale loved by printmakers was #Ochanomizu in #Tokyo.

Your first thought may be

"Ochanomizu a railway station and maybe if you've been on a train going through that station you have briefly noticed the narrow stream below curving between high banks and taller buildings above.

This is Ochanomizu in late autumn / early winter as late as the middle 19th century as depicted by Kuniyoshi
.

Cold wet empty and obscured by drizzle

Kuniyoshi has probably removed some of the trees known to have grown along the banks and the footpaths and roads are hidden by the rain. The total absence of any human shows us what a dreary day it was and Kuniyoshi seems to have picked this subject to show off the skills of himself and his colorist in creating an effect very similar to an actual watercolor on paper or silk.

Next post more images of Ochanomizu in the past!

SHIBA STORY - SAILS AND SHORELINES

#shiba #tokyo #ukiyo-e #japaneseprints

SHIBA STORY

SAILS AND SHORELINES

I've mentioned before that the Eight views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers a traditional subject for Chinese painting was adopted by Japanese painters and poets. However in Japan the Konoe family promoted an Omi Hakkei, a set of 8 views of scenic spots near Lake Biwa and Otsu, and this in turn led to other sets of views, extending to sets of 8 Views of Edo, and later sets of 36 or 100.

Now the Edo Hakkei substituted local scenes and in this print the Sails Returning to Yabase theme has become Sails returning to Shiba. Shiba is now INLAND and that entire shore line replaced by landfill and artificial islands apart from one section to the north adjacent to two famous gardens ad thats fronted by embankments.

Its very Ukiyo-e that the boats are mainly cargo ships The print by the way is by Eisen!

I doubt you could see Fuji from Shiba or even out in Tokyo bay nowadays as clearly as this so not only is it a beautiful landscape print but also a useful historical record of Tokyo's changed shorelines and an image of older style shipping and how wooden sail ships worked so there's a good view of the rudder and rigging. 

ENJOY