Ochanomizu — お茶の水

Ochanomizu, identified by the Japanese characters お茶の水, is the hilly district where the Kanda River cuts a deep ravine through central Tokyo, creating one of the city's most dramatic urban landscapes. Nouet's oban woodblock print captures this striking topography, where steep tree-lined embankments drop to the river below and bridges span the gorge at considerable height. The neighborhood takes its name from a spring whose water was once used to prepare tea for the Tokugawa shogun. Nouet likely depicts the view from or near Hijiri Bridge, where the Kanda River valley, the Chuo rail line running along the water, and the dome of the Nikolai Cathedral on the opposite ridge create a composition of unusual vertical drama for the generally flat Tokyo landscape. The area drew artists precisely because of this unexpected canyon within the city.