The Suzuri Spring at Torii Pass near Yabuhara

A thick pine stands at the left of the picture, and two women carrying firewood walk at its base. At the far left is a large stone monument, and the pool beneath it is thought to be the Suzuri-no-Shimizu spring. In the right foreground two travelers sit with their loads set down, resting with pipes in hand. In the distance a snow-capped mountain looks out.

The pine trunk is drawn thick in red-brown, and its branches spread across the whole top of the picture. The sky at right is left pale, and the snowy mountain is rendered with ink lines and white. The indigo and red of the women's robes and the pale colors of the travelers' robes stand out against the green slope of the pass.

The Torii Pass divides the Kiso River and Shinano River watersheds and was one of the difficult passes on the Nakasendo. The pass is said to be named for a torii gate erected to pray for victory in battle. Suzuri-no-Shimizu is regarded as a spring with a legend connected to Kiso Yoshinaka, and historic sites associated with Yoshinaka still remain at the pass.

This is one of the designs by Keisai Eisen, who handled the first half of the series. Eisen's share becomes sparse around here, and from this point Utagawa Hiroshige's designs predominate. The distant snowy mountain may depict Mount Ontake, which is clearly visible from the pass.