True Pictures of Famous Places in Tokyo: Hashiba Ferry

The Hashiba Ferry crossed the Sumida River at the Hashiba landing in the Asakusa district, one of several traditional ferry points that remained in operation during the Meiji period alongside the newer bridges. Yasuji's print likely depicts the wooden ferry barge mid-crossing or at the landing stage, laden with passengers in mixed Meiji-era dress — kimono alongside early Western clothing — with the opposite bank and its industrial or residential structures visible in the background. River ferry scenes held a long tradition in Edo meisho-e, and Yasuji updates the subject with the documentary specificity of the "True Pictures" series. The play of light on water was a particular challenge and strength of Kiyochika's school, rendered through bokashi gradients and flat color planes rather than through line work. The composition may employ the low horizon favored by Kiyochika, placing the ferry against an expanse of sky and water that emphasizes the flatness of the Sumida's floodplain and the openness of the Meiji riverside landscape.