Picture of the Lake at Hakone, from the series 53 Stations of the Tokaido 1833

This print by Utagawa Hiroshige uses ink and color on paper to depict Lake Hakone, a key point on the Tōkaidō road. It’s one of a series of woodblock prints representing the 53 stations of this route that connected Edo, now Tokyo, to Kyoto. The series captured the cultural imagination of 19th-century Japan, when the Tokugawa shogunate encouraged internal travel to reinforce national identity and control. Hiroshige’s prints weren’t just landscapes, they were also reflections of social change, showing the common people traveling for trade, pilgrimage, and leisure, enabled by a relatively peaceful and prosperous era. The series was a commercial product, but also a powerful symbol of the era’s social dynamics. When we analyze this work, we need to consider the social and institutional contexts that shaped its production and reception. Art historical resources like travel guides and government records help us to appreciate the historical influences of this period. By understanding its context, the deeper meanings of art can be revealed.