Tokaido Shimada — 東海道 島田

A second impression of Hasui's Shimada composition depicting this Tokaido post-town on the western bank of the Oi River in present Shizuoka Prefecture. During the Edo period, Shimada was the embarkation point for the notorious Oi River crossing, one of the Tokaido's greatest obstacles — the Tokugawa authorities prohibited bridging the river as a defensive measure, requiring all travelers to be carried across by porters. The broad, shallow river and its associated town became a standard meisho subject, connecting Hasui's treatment to the established Tokaido landscape tradition. This second impression record likely reflects a distinct print state within the same composition's production history. Comparison with the companion entry would focus on differences in the depth of the river gradation, the tonal quality of reflected light on water, and any changes in the density of distant mountain passages rendered in the upper portion of the sheet.