Kioichou — 紀尾井町

Kioicho, written as 紀尾井町, is an affluent district in central Tokyo named by combining characters from the three feudal lords whose estates occupied the area during the Edo period: the Ki of Kishu, the O of Owari, and the I of Ii. Nouet's [oban](/glossary/oban) woodblock print depicts this neighborhood of former daimyo residences that by the twentieth century had become home to luxury hotels, government buildings, and embassies. The area's elevated terrain, situated between the outer moat of Edo Castle and the Akasaka Palace, afforded views and a sense of remove from the commercial bustle of lower-lying districts. Nouet, living in Tokyo as a French academic and poet, would have known Kioicho as part of the city's diplomatic and intellectual landscape. The print records the district's stately atmosphere of wide streets and mature trees.