Sanjo Bridge — 三条大橋

This woodblock print depicts the Sanjo Bridge, one of Kyoto's most historically significant landmarks, spanning the Kamo River in the heart of the old capital. Sanjo Ohashi served for centuries as the western terminus of the Tokaido highway connecting Kyoto to Edo (Tokyo), making it a symbol of arrival and departure woven deeply into Japanese cultural memory. Kusaka's rendering of the bridge likely situates it within the context of the modern city while acknowledging its historical weight. The Kamo River's broad, shallow flow beneath the bridge provides a reflective foreground, and the woodblock technique handles water surfaces with the luminous translucency that makes the medium particularly suited to river subjects. The print joins Hiroshige and countless other artists who have recorded this same span across centuries.