The area depicted by Hiroshige is not very large, although it is located in the center of Edo, near the castle of the shogun. On the right is a mound, behind which is the fortress wall of the castle Nishinomaru. On the left is the red gates of Ia Na-sueke’s mansion, Tokugawa’s companion Ieyasu, who helped him during the struggle for power. On the territory of the mansion, behind the security booth was a well of Sakuragai, the viewer can see its three vertical shafts. In the distance, several daimyo mansions and fire towers can be seen, the tallest of them being located behind the gates of Khandzo Gomon.
The second well – Yanaginoi – is not visible, but it was a little farther, along the canal of Benkei-bori, from another security booth, which is visible in the engraving on the right. Here the willow grew, which is why it got its name Yanaginoi. The area of Soto-Sakurada has an ancient history, it was here that in 1877 a shell mound “Omori kaizuka” was discovered, in which an ancient pottery and a sculpture were found. The landscape is permeated with peace and tranquility. The water of the channel in the later version acquires an intense blue color, which changes the mood of the entire color solution of the engraving. The outlines of trees in the background turn dark, contrasting with the sunset on the horizon.
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