Who painted Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces: Tosa Province: Bonito Fishing at Sea, and when?

Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces: Tosa Province: Bonito Fishing at Sea is by Utagawa Hiroshige, made in 1855 (Ansei 2). Medium: Woodblock print (ukiyo-e).

Where can I see Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces: Tosa Province: Bonito Fishing at Sea?

It is held by Tokyo National Museum, National Diet Library. Exhibitions change, so check each museum's information before you visit.

Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces ・ 58

Tosa Province: Bonito Fishing at Sea

六十余州名所図会土佐海上松魚釣

This print shows, close up on a choppy sea, the bonito fishing that was a specialty of Tosa Province. Men thrust out rods from several fishing boats and haul in leaping bonito one after another, a lively and powerful fishing scene.

Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige
Date: 1855 (Ansei 2)
Medium / format: Woodblock print (ukiyo-e)
Series: Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces 69 prints
Place depicted: Tosa Bay（Kochi）

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About this work

On the boat in the foreground, fishermen in green kimono lean out to work their rods, and bonito dance among the waves outside the gunwale. Large tubs and nets are piled on the boats, and on the boat beyond, men likewise thrust out their rods all at once.

The sea filling the picture is drawn with fine wave patterns in shades of indigo, strengthening the sense of the boats' rocking. Above the horizon the sky is dyed an orange like a sunset, with blue mountain shadows at back left and a boat with white sails at back right. The quiet scenery offshore sets off the bustle in the foreground.

The seas off Tosa, where the Kuroshio current flows, were a good fishing ground where schools of bonito gathered. In the Edo period pole-and-line bonito fishing flourished, and katsuobushi was shipped all over as a Tosa specialty. Even in Edo the first bonito of the season was prized, and bonito was a familiar yet special fish for the people.

A print with the livelihood of a province rather than a scenic spot as its subject is unusual in this series, and it vividly conveys the people of Tosa who live by the sea. The National Diet Library's impression has the same composition. Boats and people fill the picture, and the swell of the waves expresses the vigor of the fishing.

The place today

Kochi Prefecture is still known for pole-and-line bonito fishing, and bonito boats land their catch at fishing ports such as Kure in Nakatosa. "Katsuo no tataki," bonito seared over a straw fire, is the prefecture's signature local dish and can be enjoyed casually at places such as Hirome Market in Kochi, popular with tourists too.

Where can I see it?

Exhibitions change over time. Check each museum's exhibition information before you visit.

Museums that hold this work

Tokyo National Museum
Taito City, Tokyo　Accession no. A-12499-251
Museum's page for this work (opens in a new tab)
National Diet Library
Chiyoda City, Tokyo　Accession no. 寄別1-9-2-4
Included in Dai Nihon Rokujuyoshu Meisho Zue
Museum's page for this work (opens in a new tab)

Museums abroad

Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago
Most of the views, including the gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harold G. Henderson (1965.952 onward)
Museum's page for this work (opens in a new tab)

Frequently asked questions

Who painted Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces: Tosa Province: Bonito Fishing at Sea, and when?: Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces: Tosa Province: Bonito Fishing at Sea is by Utagawa Hiroshige, made in 1855 (Ansei 2). Medium: Woodblock print (ukiyo-e).
What place does Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces: Tosa Province: Bonito Fishing at Sea show?: It shows Tosa Bay (Kochi).
Where can I see Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces: Tosa Province: Bonito Fishing at Sea?: It is held by Tokyo National Museum, National Diet Library. Exhibitions change, so check each museum's information before you visit.