Mannen Bridge, Fukagawa

The foreground consists of the rim of a bucket and the bridge railing, with a turtle hanging on a rope that descends from above. Beyond the turtle the surface of the Onagi and Sumida rivers spreads out, with sailboats and small boats floating on it. Above the trees on the far shore, a white Mount Fuji rises into a sunset sky. On the nearer river, a man in a small boat works a pole.

The scenery is cut into a rectangle by the wooden frame of bucket and railing, with the turtle floating inside it. The contrast of the brown turtle, white Fuji, and blue river is vivid, and the idea of using everyday tools in the foreground works well.

The hanging turtle is said to have been sold for the hojoe ceremony of releasing living creatures. This was a rite of earning merit by releasing creatures into the river, and turtles and eels were sold at the foot of the bridge. One can also sense the playful pairing of the name Mannen (ten thousand years) with the turtle, said to live ten thousand years. The bustle of boats on the river conveys the waterside life of Fukagawa.

This print belongs to the summer section, and its censor's seal dates it to the eleventh month of Ansei 4 (1857). Hokusai also depicted Mannen Bridge in "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji." This print, with the turtle placed in front, is one of the most popular in the series.