Village of Cherry Blossoms, from the series Esteemed Towns and Villages (Tôsei furaku tsû), Meiji period, 1897

Published in 1897 as part of the series Tôsei furaku tsû (Esteemed Towns and Villages), this [meisho-e](/glossary/meisho-e) print depicts a village setting defined by its cherry trees in bloom. The series documents Tokyo-area neighborhoods during the Meiji period, a time when rapid urban change made such topographic records of traditional townscapes particularly resonant for contemporary audiences. Shuntei's composition likely uses the full [oban](/glossary/oban) sheet to organize blossoms as a decorative band across the upper register, with figures and buildings occupying the lower half. The pink [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) used for cherry blossom masses required careful wet printing and was one of the technically demanding passages in spring-season prints. The series title, Tôsei furaku tsû, frames these neighborhoods as noteworthy or esteemed, reflecting a publishing strategy of local pride common in Meiji print culture.