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(御厩橋之図) by Kobayashi Kiyochika — Japanese Woodblock print

(御厩橋之図)

by Kobayashi Kiyochika

Medium:
Woodblock print
Image courtesy of
Ritsumeikan University

Description

This print depicts Omayabashi Bridge, one of the Sumida River crossings that Kiyochika documented as part of his systematic record of Meiji Tokyo's changing infrastructure. Omayabashi connected the Asakusa district to the eastern bank, and its appearance in Kiyochika's series situates it among the familiar transit points of late Edo–early Meiji urban life. The composition likely places the bridge in low light—either at dusk, at night, or in mist—with the water below reflecting whatever illumination falls on its surface. Figures crossing or waiting on the span would appear as silhouettes or loosely defined forms. The print demonstrates Kiyochika's documentary impulse: he worked in the 1870s when many traditional Edo bridges were being replaced or modified under Meiji modernization, and his records of specific named crossings carry historical as well as artistic weight.

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Frequently Asked Questions

(御厩橋之図) was created by Kobayashi Kiyochika (小林清親).