Kisokaidô: Mochizuki - Station 25

We are now approaching the mountains. Mt.Tateshina (1) and the valley are visible beyond the road lined with pine trees (2). These trees were planted along large stretches of the national highways by government orders to provide shade and protection for travelers, but they could also be chopped down to block the roads and hinder an approaching enemy force. Travelers with two laden pack-horses (3) are spread out on the ascent of the Uryu slope between Yawata, the previous station and Mochizuki. Mochizuki means literally “full moon” and this may have inspired Hiroshige for this night scene, considered one of the landscape masterpieces in the Kisokaido series.

The first printing as here have a beautiful bokashi gradation on the mountain (1), but this disappears in later editions. The blue gradation in the sky becomes more important, until it fills the whole sky. Then the wooden block for the blue saddlecloth of the horse is chipped and a small area appears white in subsequent editions, such as the one from New York Metropolitan Museum on the right.

(Source: The 69 stations of the Kisokaido, Sebastian Izzard, Brazillier 2008)