Ishiyakushi- The Station House c. 1840 - 1842

This color woodblock print, titled "Ishiyakushi- The Station House," was created by Utagawa Hiroshige in Japan. It's one of many such prints made at that time that focus on the "Tokaido," which was the coastal road between Edo, modern-day Tokyo, and Kyoto, the imperial capital. Hiroshige shows us a busy scene at a rest station. We can see men working, loading, carrying, and taking a break from their duties. In this period, images of everyday life became more and more popular with merchants and even everyday citizens. The rise of this kind of art was very much tied to the rise of the merchant class, who were looking for art that depicted their lives and interests. By studying prints such as this we can see and better understand the social structures of the time. Understanding the social and economic context helps us get closer to understanding how people lived at the time.