30 Hamamatsu Winter Scene

Описание: https://axera.org/to53/

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Ukiyoe of the Fifty-three Stages of the Tokaido drawn by Hiroshige Utagawa, I researched the view from where it was seen and actually went there. The route to the places depicted together with explanations of the history and topography of the area are also included in the book.

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Fifty-three Stages of the Tokaido
Hamamatsu
Winter Scene
Hoeido edition, painting by Utagawa Hiroshige
The British Museum Collection

This painting depicts Hamamatsu Castle seen from the Tokaido road, across a teahouse and rice fields after harvest.

The distance from Mitsuke-juku to Hamamatsu-juku is about 16 km, but the distance along the banks of the Tenryu River is less than half that, just under 8 km.

The Tokaido crosses the Tenryu River, heads west through Nakanomachi Village, and soon reaches the fork with the Himekaido. Though now just a narrow alley, turning right here once led north toward Lake Hamana and the Kiga area along the Himekaido.

A little further on lay the Magome milestone, and crossing the Magome River brought one to Hamamatsu-juku.

Upon entering Hamamatsu-juku, the Tokaido made a sharp left turn at Renjaku-cho, where Hamamatsu Castle came into view, heading toward the coast. Continuing straight through Renjaku-cho would have taken travelers north past the west side of Hamamatsu Castle, allowing them to follow the Himekaido north along Lake Hamana.

Here, to see the Himekaido, please take a closer look at this enlarged "Rekichizu" detailing the route at that time. It is said that back then, many travelers used the Himekaido, which bypassed Lake Hamana and headed west from the north, rather than the Tokaido.

Please check the reason on a map that's a bit easier to understand. It shows the navy blue Tokaido and the green Himekaido drawn on Google Maps.

The Himekaido offered a shortcut through the northern part of Lake Hamana to reach Goyu. It also avoided the strict checkpoint at Arai barrier, famously described as "Enter the gun and leave the woman," making it a popular route for women and earning it the name Himekaido.
"Enter the gun and leave the woman," refers to the strict regulations imposed by the Edo shogunate to prevent rebellion. These regulations targeted “firearms and other weapons entering Edo” and “daimyo wives and women leaving Edo” at checkpoints. The purpose was to prevent uprisings caused by smuggled weapons and to prevent the escape of daimyo wives and women, who served as hostages.

The Tokaido road heading south passes through Hamamatsu-juku, goes under the Tokaido Line and Shinkansen, and eventually turns westward, reaching the vicinity of JR Takatsuka Station. Near the coast in this area stands Rokusho Shrine, and in front of its gate, the second-generation Otowa Pine now grows. This Otowa Pine is closely related to Hiroshige's painting, “Winter Scene.”

Let's take a closer look at that “Winter Scene.”
The villagers gathered around a solitary cedar tree depict an everyday scene: each warming themselves freely, some puffing on pipes, others leaning back. The traveler in a raincoat and woven hat, gazing slightly resentfully at the source of the billowing smoke, adds a nice touch. To his right, a woman in a nanny's attire gathers dead branches. This must have been a common winter scene around here, I suppose.

In the background, harvested rice fields stretch out, and to the left, beyond stacks of rice straw, a building is depicted. The small torii gate suggests this is likely Hamamatsu Hachiman Shrine. To the right, several pine trees are drawn, and the presence of a signboard indicates this is probably the famous “Zazanza Pine.” Farthest in the background, Hamamatsu Castle and the Hamamatsu-juku are also depicted, albeit small.

This is a second edition, but despite being described as winter-bare, the lower part of the painting shows vivid green hues, and the forest of Hachiman Shrine appears dark. However, corrections are also visible, such as windows being added to Hamamatsu Castle and the roof being clearly color-separated.

Looking at it this way, it seems the first printing was made using woodblocks prepared differently from Hiroshige's printing specifications.

Hiroshige depicts “Zazanza-Pine” in his Reisho edition. Two local villagers pass by, while a slightly mysterious monk gazes out at the distant sea, alongside two large pine trees.

This “Zazanza Pine” is said to have originated from a pine tree at Kobe Shrine in Kozawatari-cho, Minami Ward. This area is near the coast of the present-day JR Takatsuka Station.