Shima Province: Toba Harbor from Mount Hiyori

From the lower right to the middle of the picture, a green cape lined with pines juts out into the sea. A row of tile-roofed houses spreads along the beach in the foreground, and in the cove beyond are several ships, some with sails raised and some lowered. Houses also dot the foot of the cape.

The sea, which takes up most of the picture, shifts from deep indigo in front to pale blue offshore, and the sailing ships grow smaller toward the distance. A green island floats at upper left, and island silhouettes continue at back right. The horizon is dyed red, and the top edge of the sky is blurred in a dark color.

Toba flourished as a port where coastal cargo ships linking Osaka and Edo waited for winds and tides. Mount Hiyori is a small hill near the harbor, and its name is said to come from sailors who looked at the sky and sea from here to decide the day to set sail. Together with the title's "Toba Harbor," a place that supported life in the port town was chosen.

This picture shows the island-rich sea of Shima with depth, through the arrangement of cape, islands, and ships. The Art Institute of Chicago does not have this design, and the image of this work is the impression held by the Tokyo National Museum. The National Diet Library's impression has the same composition.