Hilltop View from Yushima Tenjin Shrine

At lower left a stone torii and a teahouse with hanging lanterns stand covered in snow, and at the top of the slope are people holding umbrellas. A figure climbing the stone steps below is also visible. At the foot of the slope the snow-covered roofs of townhouses line up, and beyond them spread Shinobazu Pond with Benten Island, and further back the trees of Ueno Hill. The clear air of a snowy day fills the whole picture.

The white of the snow, the bright blue of the pond, and the vermilion of the teahouse create a pure palette. By drawing the foreground heights large and the town and pond small, the composition conveys the breadth of the view from the top of the slope.

Yushima Tenjin is a shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane and was cherished by Edo people as a god of learning and as a famous site for plum blossoms. The precinct lay at the edge of a plateau overlooking Shinobazu Pond, with stone steps called the Men's Slope and Women's Slope. The view from the plateau over Shinobazu Pond and Ueno Hill was a beloved scene for Edo people.

This print is placed near the end of the winter section. The Art Institute of Chicago also holds an impression with only the black key-block lines, before any color was printed, which is thought to offer a clue to the print-making procedure of this series.