From Hiroshige's One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei, 1856–1858), this [oban](/glossary/oban)-format [nishiki-e](/glossary/nishiki-e) depicts Saruwaka-machi, the theater district established in Asakusa following the Tenpo Reforms of 1842, which relocated Edo's major kabuki theaters — including the Nakamura-za and Ichimura-za — from the Sakai-cho district to this northern quarter. Hiroshige renders the street at night, with large painted signboards (kanban), theater lanterns, and the illuminated frontages of the playhouses lining both sides of the main thoroughfare. The composition likely employs a low perspective looking along the receding street, using the parallel rows of lit facades to create strong linear depth. A large autumn moon above the roofline, or the glow reflected from illuminated theater frontages, provides the primary light source for the sky. The scene documents the concentration of theatrical life in Asakusa and the way the district transformed after dark into a corridor of light, animation, and commercial spectacle visible from a distance across the surrounding low-built neighborhood.
Color woodblock print
Color woodblock print
Color woodblock print
Color woodblock print
Night View of Saruwaka-machi (Saruwaka-machi yoru no kei), from the series "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)" was created by Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川広重).
Yes — Night View of Saruwaka-machi (Saruwaka-machi yoru no kei), from the series "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)" is part of the One Hundred Famous Views of Edo series (print 90 of 118) by Utagawa Hiroshige.
Night View of Saruwaka-machi (Saruwaka-machi yoru no kei), from the series "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)" depicts edo & tokyo, night scenes, and famous places (meisho-e).
Night View of Saruwaka-machi (Saruwaka-machi yoru no kei), from the series "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)" measures 35.4 × 23.3 cm.
