Samezu Coast in South Shinagawa

From the foreground to the distance, rows of the stakes ("hibi") on which nori is grown line the water, and between them people in small boats gather the seaweed. Houses and trees extend along the shore at left, and white-sailed ships dot the offing. A line of geese crosses the sky, and the shape of a mountain can be seen in the distance.

Most of the picture is occupied by pale blue sea, and the fine lines of the stakes make a regular pattern. The bands of yellow and rose in the sky suggest dusk, giving a quiet winter beach scene. The smallness of the people emphasizes the breadth of the sea.

The shallow sea from Shinagawa to Omori was known from the Edo period as a nori-producing area. Work supporting life on the shore consisted of setting up stakes of branches and bamboo in winter, letting nori attach to them, then gathering and drying it. Kaianji, a famous autumn-foliage site, is said to have stood among the trees on the shore.

This print belongs to the winter section, and some see the distant mountain as Mt. Tsukuba. Its theme is the shore trade itself rather than a famous building. Much of the Asakusa nori that was an Edo specialty was gathered on shores like those of Shinagawa and Omori.