The Paulownia Grove at Akasaka

A thick paulownia trunk runs through the middle of the picture from bottom to top. A slender paulownia stands at right as well, bearing big leaves and clusters of purple flowers. Between the trunks Tameike Pond spreads out, with water plants dotting the surface. Houses line the far bank, and on the left a hill thick with pines and other trees continues. The path along the shore has hardly any people, making it a quiet suburban waterside.

The sky is graded from deep indigo at the top to white, evoking the air of early summer with rain not far off. Drawing a tree in the foreground extremely large and letting distant scenery show through is a technique often used in this series.

Tameike was a reservoir that also served as an outer moat of Edo Castle, and paulownias are said to have been planted to reinforce its embankment. Paulownia is a tree used for chests of drawers and clogs, and this area was called "Kiribatake" (Paulownia Field). Many samurai residences surrounded the pond, making it a calm place away from the bustle of the town.

This print belongs to the summer section. Hiroshige II also depicted the same place as an evening scene in rain, and it was added to the series as "Night Rain at the Paulownia Grove at Akasaka." Comparing the two shows the difference in style between master and pupil.