Shinagawa Susaki

The lower half of the picture shows the mouth of the Meguro River and the spit of Susaki projecting into the sea. At the tip of the spit are a red Benten shrine and torii surrounded by a pine grove, and on the near shore can be seen houses and a bridge. In the sea beyond, ships with white sails are dotted about, and the far-shore land extends thinly in the distance.

It is a bird's-eye composition looking down from a high viewpoint, with the pale blue of the sea occupying most of the picture. The contrast between Susaki, like a small island, and the expanse of sea filling the picture gives an unhurried impression.

The Benten shrine at Susaki was a scenic spot on the seashore of Shinagawa-juku, bustling with people who worshipped while looking out over the sea. Shinagawa-juku, the first post town on the Tokaido, prospered with travelers and Edo residents who came to enjoy themselves.

It is one of the early prints in the series, issued in the fourth month of Ansei 3. It belongs to the autumn section, but there are few strong signs of the season, and the wild geese crossing the sky suggest autumn. The bird's-eye composition looking down from high in the sky is one Hiroshige often used to show the topography of famous places clearly.