Mouth of the Nakagawa River

On the bank in the foreground can be seen the buildings of a checkpoint and a pine tree, with a person standing. From there two boats carrying passengers push out onto the river. In the middle, several men work rafts with poles, the river beyond continues toward the upper left, and past the reed beds and woods on its bank a red field of sunset spreads out. Small boats are tied up along the shore.

A pale blue river takes up most of the picture, with the black lines of the rafts lined up horizontally in a clean composition. The viewpoint looking down conveys the breadth of the river confluence.

At the mouth of the Nakagawa stood the Nakagawa boat checkpoint, which inspected boats and cargo traveling the river. It was a key point of water transport carrying Gyotoku salt and Shimosa products to Edo by way of the Onagi Canal, and people going to worship at Narita-san are also said to have passed through here by boat. At the checkpoint, people and cargo entering and leaving Edo were strictly examined.

This print belongs to the summer section, and its censor's seal dates it to the second month of Ansei 4 (1857). The Nakagawa also appears in "Ferry Crossing at Sakasai" and "Niijuku Ferry," conveying the bustle of water transport east of Edo.