Yatsukoji, Inside Sujikai Gate

A bright-colored square occupies most of the picture, with travelers and peddlers scattered here and there. From lower left a daimyo procession advances carrying implements in red covers, and the roof of a gate shows at lower right. In the middle is a small guardhouse, and beyond the willows and pines on the far embankment appear the river and the roofs of temples and shrines.

The figures are drawn very small to emphasize the breadth of the square, and a green embankment and woods are placed like a band at the top. The viewpoint looking down at an angle presents the sprawl of the town like a map.

Yatsukoji was a firebreak named for the eight roads that converged there, and it was left as an open space to stop the spread of fire. Sujikai Gate was the entrance to the roads leading to the Nakasendo and the Nikko Onari-kaido, and traffic never ceased.

This is the ninth print of the Spring section. Depicting a transport hub rather than a famous place, it shows one side of a series that grasps the life of Edo's townscape from above. The censor's seal dates it to November 1857 (Ansei 4). Samurai and townspeople appear in the same square, showing Edo where the warrior and merchant classes mingled. There are few seasonal motifs, and spring is said to be indicated by the budding of the willows.