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The Willow Tree at the Gate of Shimabara Pleasure Quarter (Shimabara deguchi no yanagi), from the series “Famous Views of Kyoto (Kyoto meisho no uchi)" by Utagawa Hiroshige — Japanese Color woodblock print; oban, c. 1834

The Willow Tree at the Gate of Shimabara Pleasure Quarter (Shimabara deguchi no yanagi), from the series “Famous Views of Kyoto (Kyoto meisho no uchi)"

by Utagawa Hiroshige

Ukiyo-e
Urban ScenesLandscapesKyotoArchitectureTreesFamous Places (Meisho-e)
Kyoto
Date:
c. 1834
Medium:
Color woodblock print; oban
Format:
Oban

Description

At Shimabara, Kyoto's licensed pleasure quarter, a solitary willow tree stood at the gateway separating the quarter's world from the street outside. This oban print from the "Famous Views of Kyoto" series captures the iconic tree in its setting — its trailing branches framing the gate, townspeople passing beneath. The willow had accumulated layers of literary and artistic association, making it a charged symbol of the quarter's boundary between fantasy and ordinary life.

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Featured in Collections

Curated cross-cuts that include this print.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Willow Tree at the Gate of Shimabara Pleasure Quarter (Shimabara deguchi no yanagi), from the series “Famous Views of Kyoto (Kyoto meisho no uchi)" was created by Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川広重) in c. 1834.

Yes — The Willow Tree at the Gate of Shimabara Pleasure Quarter (Shimabara deguchi no yanagi), from the series “Famous Views of Kyoto (Kyoto meisho no uchi)" is part of the Famous Views of Kyoto (Kyoto meisho no uchi) series by Utagawa Hiroshige.

The Willow Tree at the Gate of Shimabara Pleasure Quarter (Shimabara deguchi no yanagi), from the series “Famous Views of Kyoto (Kyoto meisho no uchi)" depicts urban scenes, landscapes, and kyoto, set at Kyoto.