Hakone 1855

Utagawa Hiroshige created this woodblock print, Hakone, as part of the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō. It captures a moment along the historic road connecting Edo, present day Tokyo, and Kyoto, during a time when travel was both a political act and a deeply personal journey. The print portrays laborers carrying travelers in a kago, a type of palanquin, up the steep inclines of Hakone. The landscape dominates, emphasizing the physical challenges faced by those who had to traverse such routes. Here, the kago bearers occupy the lower rungs of a rigid social hierarchy. These workers, rendered with a certain anonymity, are contrasted with the implied presence of those whom they carry. The landscape is not just a backdrop, but a force that shapes labor, class, and identity. Hiroshige's evocative composition invites us to reflect on the lived experiences of those who moved within and against the grain of 19th-century Japanese society. It is a reminder of how our journeys are always intertwined with the journeys of others.