True Pictures of Famous Places in Tokyo: Makurabashi Bridge

Makurabashi Bridge spanned one of the smaller canals in the eastern districts of Tokyo, and like many such crossings it formed a neighborhood focal point whose specific character Yasuji captured in the "True Pictures" series. Smaller bridges of this type presented a compositional challenge distinct from the major Sumida crossings: the intimacy of scale, the close relationship between the bridge and the surrounding townscape, and the domestic character of the canal traffic — small craft, local foot traffic, adjacent storehouses — required a different treatment than the panoramic river views. Yasuji likely positions the viewer at or near water level, allowing the bridge arc to frame the composition and the canal banks with their wooden buildings to provide lateral depth. The reflection of structures in the canal water offered an opportunity for the atmospheric treatment of light on water characteristic of the Kiyochika school. The print represents the series' attention to the minor as well as major landmarks of Tokyo's waterway geography.