From the Surugate quarter, located near Nihonbashi, a magnificent view of Mount Fuji and the castle of Shogun was opened. This place was very popular among the townspeople. Hiroshige chose for his engraving a clear, symmetrical composition with the use of a linear perspective. Mount Fuji, placed at the top of the leaf and separated by a strip of stylized clouds – “genjigumo” – rises above the daily bustle of the shopping district, famous for its Etogoy fabrics shops, depicted on both sides as straight as an arrow of a street going off into the distance. These shops, owned by the Mitsui family, flourished thanks to several innovations in the trade.
The owner of the store refused to sell on credit. He decided to reduce trade with the daimyo, who regularly “forgot” to pay their debts, and began to focus more on the townspeople. In addition to selling fabrics in a large piece on a kimono, Mitsui Hatyroibe began selling cuts of different lengths. Etigoy had his own emblem, which Hiroshige also depicted on the curtains of nore. On the popularity of the Mitsui shops speak the poetic lines: / With the crack of silk tearing / In the shop Etigoy… / Summer time has come! Comparison of these two etchings shows that in the second version the artist used a more saturated color. The bright color of clouds attracts attention, which in the late leaf becomes almost buffy.
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