Hiroshige II's series 'Fifty-three Stages of the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō gojūsan tsugi)' (1854)

Introduction

The stage number is at the bottom of the rectangular cartouche in the top right corner, and the series title is at the top. The title of each individual print, the stage-name, is in the square cartouche to the left of that; many are written in the semi-cursive gyōsho script.

These prints were printed in pairs, two per chūban sheet. Odd-numbered prints were printed together, and also even-numbered (e.g. 2 and 4, 6 and 8, etc.). Both prints of a pair contain censor seals, but only one of each pair has the printer's seal.

The series dates from the very start of Hiroshige II's career, when he was about twenty-eight years old. At this point, he was using the name 'Shigenobu', the gō given to him by his master Hiroshige I; the prints in this series are signed 'Shigenobu'.

Technical details

• Dates: 1854 (Tiger - Ansei 1), 2nd month
• Size: horizontal yotsugiri
• Signed: Shigenobu
• Publisher: Yamashiro-ya Jinbei (seal reads 'Yamajin han'; firm name 'Sansendō')

The Prints

Images	Number	Date	Title (Kanji)	Title (Romaji)	Title (English)	Description/Comment
	#1	1854/2	日本橋	Nihon-bashi
	#2	1854/2	品川	Shinagawa
	#3	1854/2	川さき	Kawasaki		The title of this print seems to be written partially in hira-gana, while the titles of most of the rest are given entirely in kanji. The reason why is not known.
	#4	1854/2	加奈川	Kanagawa
	#5	1854/2	程ヶ谷	Hodogaya
	#6	1854/2	戸塚	Totsuka
	#7	1854/2	藤澤	Fujisawa
	#8	1854/2	平塚	Hiratsuka
	#9	1854/2	大磯	Ōiso
	#10	1854/2	小田原	Odawara
	#11	1854/2	箱根	Hakone
	#12	1854/2	三嶋	Mishima
	#13	1854/2	沼津	Numazu
	#14	1854/2	はら	Hara		The title of this print is written entirely in hira-gana. The reason is not known, but the name in kanji is only a single character (原), and perhaps the artist felt a single character would not fill the space in the cartouche well.
	#15	1854/2	吉原	Yoshiwara
	#16	1854/2	蒲原	Kambara
	#17	1854/2	由井	Yui
	#18	1854/2	奥津	Okitsu
	#19	1854/2	江尻	Ejiri
	#20	1854/2	府中	Fuchū
	#21	1854/2	鞠子	Mariko
	#22	1854/2	岡部	Okabe
	#23	1854/2	藤枝	Fujieda
	#24	1854/2	嶋田	Shimada
	#25	1854/2	金谷	Kanaya
	#26	1854/2	日坂	Nissaka
	#27	1854/2	掛川	Kakegawa
	#28	1854/2	袋井	Fukuroi
	#29	1854/2	見附	Mitsuke
	#30	1854/2	濵松	Hamamatsu
	#31	1854/2	舞坂	Maisaka
	#32	1854/2	荒井	Arai
	#33	1854/2	白須賀	Shirasuka
	#34	1854/2	二川	Futugawa
	#35	1854/2	吉田	Yoshida
	#36	1854/2	御油	Goyu
	#37	1854/2	赤坂	Akasaka
	#38	1854/2	藤川	Fujikawa
	#39	1854/2	岡崎	Okazaki
	#40	1854/2	ちりゅう	Chiryū		The title of this print seems to be written entirely in hira-gana. The reason is not known, but the name in kanji is three characters (池鯉鮒), and perhaps the artist felt that some were obscure and would not be as recognizable.
	#41	1854/2	鳴海	Narumi
	#42	1854/2	みや	Miya		The title of this print seems to be written entirely in hira-gana. The reason is not known, but the name in kanji is only a single character (宮), and perhaps the artist felt a single character would not fill the space in the cartouche well.
	#43	1854/2	桑名	Kuwana
	#44	1854/2	四日市	Yokkaichi
	#45	1854/2	石藥師	Ishiyakushi
	#46	1854/2	庄野	Shōno
	#47	1854/2	亀山	Kameyama
	#48	1854/2	せき	Seki		The title of this print seems to be written entirely in hira-gana. The reason is not known, but the name in kanji is only a single character (關), and perhaps the artist felt a single character would not fill the space in the cartouche well.
	#49	1854/2	坂の下	Sakanoshita
	#50	1854/2	圡山	Tsuchiyama
	#51	1854/2	みなくち	Minakuchi		The title of this print seems to be written entirely in hira-gana. The reason is not known; the name of this station in kanji is 水口.
	#52	1854/2	石部	Ishibe
	#53	1854/2	草津	Kusatsu
	#54	1854/2	大津	Ōtsu
	#55	1854/2	京 ??	Kyō ??
	End (Taibi? - 大尾?)	1854/2	清?水	Shimizu?

Acknowledgements