Mt. Fuji on the Left near Yoshiwara

On the Tokaido from Edo to Kyoto, Mount Fuji is usually seen on the right. Around Yoshiwara, however, the road bends sharply, so for a short stretch Fuji appeared on the left. This was Left Fuji, a famous spot beloved by travelers.

In the foreground, three children sit in the saddle on the horse's back, led by a packhorse driver. The two on the left gaze at Fuji ahead, but the child at the far right droops with head down, apparently dozing. The childlike gestures along the journey are drawn charmingly.

On both sides of the road, thick pine trunks line up in a rhythm, becoming smaller toward the back to give a sense of perspective. The reddish Fuji peeking between the pines and the gray mountain at the back right add variety to the landscape of spreading fields.

Left Fuji came about because a high tide in 1680 (Enpo 8) moved Yoshiwara-juku inland and changed the route of the Tokaido. The Hoeido edition has several prints with Mount Fuji, but while the Hara print draws it so large it spills out of the picture, this one places it small between the pines, expressing how Fuji catches the eye by chance along the journey.