The River of Waterfalls at Oji

At the center of the picture a cliff of yellow rock rises large, covered above with green trees. From the cliff at right a single waterfall drops, and in the rocks below it a red torii and a small hut can be seen. At back left are a bridge over the river, a teahouse on a rise, and trees turning red.

The yellow of the cliff, the green of the forest, and the blue of the river, with the reddish brown of autumn leaves added, make the bright colors of a valley in autumn. The river flows in a broad curve across the picture, creating depth.

Around Oji, the Ishigami River cuts deeply into the plateau, forming a gorge called Takinogawa. Waterfalls and a Benten in a rock grotto were dotted along it, and people from Edo visited as a famous site for autumn leaves. Together with the cherry blossoms of Asukayama and Oji Inari, Oji was a leisure spot busy all year round.

The series has several pictures of Oji, and this one conveys Oji in autumn foliage in the autumn section. It is an early print of the fourth month of Ansei 3, and its highlight is the composition that makes full use of the gorge's height difference in the tall vertical format. It is drawn as a place where one could enjoy the charm of mountains and water near Edo.