Shinmachi

In the foreground a river flows in a great arc, enclosed on both sides by green embankments. On the raised embankment in the middle stand several tall pines, and travelers carrying loads walk along the flat road at left. At the back right a plank bridge spans the river, with figures visible on it too.

At the right edge a blue-green cliff rises, dividing the picture vertically. The sky changes from gray clouds above to orange below, and blue mountains rise at the back left. In this series Hiroshige prefers to depict scenes of rivers and embankments along the highway rather than rows of houses in the stations.

Shinmachi-juku is said to be the most recently opened of the Nakasendo's stations. Crossing the Kanna River between it and Honjo-juku, one enters Kozuke Province from here.

In the numbering of the series, it is Hiroshige's first print. Hiroshige took over partway the series that Eisen began and drew 47 prints. The publisher is said to have moved from Hoeido to Kinjudo, and many of Hiroshige's prints standardize the title as "Kiso Kaido Rokujukyu-tsugi no uchi." The Art Institute of Chicago and the Tokyo National Museum also hold the same design.