Historic Site of Urashima in Kanagawa (Kanagawa Urashima koseki), from the series Scenes of Famous Places along the Tôkaidô Road (Tôkaidô meisho fûkei), also known as the Processional Tôkaidô (Gyôretsu Tôkaidô), here called Tôkaidô meisho no uchi
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Museum of Fine Arts Boston
- Image courtesy of
- Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Description
This woodblock print from the Tôkaidô meisho fûkei series depicts the historic site of Urashima in Kanagawa (Kanagawa Urashima koseki)—a location near Kanagawa station on the Tôkaidô associated with the legend of Urashima Tarô, the fisherman who visited Ryûgû-jô (the Dragon King's undersea palace), spent what seemed days there, and returned to find centuries had elapsed on shore. The site's legendary association transforms a standard meisho-e coastal view into a mythologically charged landscape. Kyosai likely depicted the bay and shoreline in the vicinity of Kanagawa (present-day Yokohama area), possibly incorporating visual references to the Urashima narrative—the turtle that guided him to the undersea realm, or the tamatebako (jewel box) whose opening brought instant old age. The Gyôretsu Tôkaidô format may have incorporated a daimyo retinue passing through this historically resonant site, juxtaposing ceremonial bureaucratic spectacle with legendary time. Nishiki-e polychrome printing on ôban washi.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Historic Site of Urashima in Kanagawa (Kanagawa Urashima koseki), from the series Scenes of Famous Places along the Tôkaidô Road (Tôkaidô meisho fûkei), also known as the Processional Tôkaidô (Gyôretsu Tôkaidô), here called Tôkaidô meisho no uchi was created by Kawanabe Kyosai (河鍋暁斎).
Yes — Historic Site of Urashima in Kanagawa (Kanagawa Urashima koseki), from the series Scenes of Famous Places along the Tôkaidô Road (Tôkaidô meisho fûkei), also known as the Processional Tôkaidô (Gyôretsu Tôkaidô), here called Tôkaidô meisho no uchi is part of the Scenes of Famous Places along the Tôkaidô Road series by Kawanabe Kyosai.
Historic Site of Urashima in Kanagawa (Kanagawa Urashima koseki), from the series Scenes of Famous Places along the Tôkaidô Road (Tôkaidô meisho fûkei), also known as the Processional Tôkaidô (Gyôretsu Tôkaidô), here called Tôkaidô meisho no uchi depicts transportation, tōkaidō, and travel scenes.