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Utagawa Hiroshige - Series of the 69 stations of the Kisokaido: Matsuida (17th print) - Matsuida (Matsuida)
(Edition done in 1950's by Kyoto Hanga-in under the supervision of Narazaki Muneshige, the most faithful to the first edition)
On the road between Annaka and Matsuida, two travelers with their heavily laden horses are going in opposite directions. A solitary pine tree has a road marker (1) at its foot. A wayside shrine (2) stands on the roadside and beyond it, on the horizon, one can see Mt.Miyogi (3). The station is hidden in the valley below behind the haystacks (4), which bring a spot of color to the print.
The Mt.Miyogi appears only in the early printings. Then the road itself become paler and the mountain disappears which changes completely the landscape. Above is a later edition from the British Museum (without Mt.Miyogi) and on the right is a reproduction of an earlier print with the mountain.
(Source: The 69 stations of the Kisokaido, Sebastian Izzard, Brazillier 2008)
Myogi-ji Temple and Mt.Myogi
"Kisoji Meisho Zue" or Illustrated album of the famous places along the Kiso road (1805)
Matsuida - Later edition from the British Museum with Mt.Miyogi missing
A view of Matsuida and Mt.Myoji in 1851 in a guide to Kisokaido (Kisoji Meisho zue) illustrated by Hiroshige (source Waseda University, Tokyo)
And now ?
Matsuida is now a district of Annaka city. There was a checkpoint at the Usui-pass after the next station Sakamoto and sometimes, the traffic was held up by the queue. Matsuida was therefore a rather important station. In 1843, there were 1009 inhabitants in 252 houses, two honjin, two waki-honjin and 14 inns. There was also a smaller road linking Matsuida to Oiwake (station 20) and avoiding the checkpoint. These bypass were called princess roads or “hime-kaido” as they were much longer but easier and less travelled. They were also the perfect smugglers’ lanes.
One of the two Matsuida honjin, the one in Goryo is still standing with two superb buildings, one from 1806, the other from 1835.
Gate of the Goryo Honjin at Matsuida
Garyo Honjin, Matsuida (1806)
Goryo Honjin, Matsuida (1835)
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