Okitsu, 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
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Museum of Fine Arts Boston
- Image courtesy of
- Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Description
Okitsu, the seventeenth station of the Tōkaidō, was renowned above all for its river crossing: the Okitsu River had no bridge, requiring travelers and official processions alike to be carried across by kawagoshi porters. This print from the Gyōretsu Tōkaidō series depicts that crossing, likely showing liveried bearers wading through the shallows with palanquins or portable platforms bearing passengers from a daimyo retinue. The station's position where the Okitsu River meets Suruga Bay offered a backdrop of water and sky, well-suited to bokashi gradation. Kyosai's draftsmanship sharpens the figures of the porters — their muscled exertion and wet clothing — against the flat wash of the bay. The nishiki-e palette distinguishes official livery from common travelers, reinforcing the procession's hierarchical order central to the Gyōretsu series concept.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Okitsu, 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 was created by Kawanabe Kyosai (河鍋暁斎).
Yes — Okitsu, 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 is part of the Scenes of Famous Places along the Tôkaidô Road series by Kawanabe Kyosai.
Okitsu, 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 depicts transportation, tōkaidō, and travel scenes.