Kisokaidô: Shionada - Station 23
Utagawa Hiroshige - Series of the 69 stations of the Kisokaido: Station Shionada (24th print) (Shionada)
© Trustees of the British Museum
Crossing the Chikuma-gawa river (now called Shinano-gawa river), the longest river in Japan was always a challenge. When the waters were low, a pontoon bridge was installed, but when the snows were thawing or during the rainy season, the current was too swift and a ferry service replaced the pontoon bridge. For the travelers in a hurry, boats could be rented and for the ones with large luggage, there were rafts pushed by swimmers and porters. Here Hiroshige depicts the river in spring with a group of three boatmen (1) wrapped in cloth and straw mats for warmth as they walk towards the ferry station where a gang of nearly naked swimmer-porters (2) are sitting around a teapot. To the left of them on the near shore of the river is a large tree where boats (3) are tied. The broad expanse of the river extends beyond with the farther shore clad in dark green forests of conifers. The Teruo range of mountains forms the distant horizon.
In some prints, such as this one, Hiroshige reveals his empathy with the lot of his fellow man. We share the fate of the chilled boatmen and river porters in the early morning as they wait for trade.
As the editions progressed, the colors and impressions became increasingly coarse. Early on, the block with the lower right portion of the Kinjudô publisher’s seal (4) (錦樹堂) broke off and this area always appears damaged.
Rafts pushed by swimmers and porters also appear in Hiroshige’s print “Shimada” in the Tokaido kyoka series published in 1838-1939. Each print in this Tokaido series has a kyoka, a short funny poem with plenty of puns.
(Source: The 69 stations of the Kisokaido, Sebastian Izzard, Brazillier 2008)
Shimada from Hirohige's Kyoka Tokaido (1839)
Shionada: Pontoon bridge ca. 1875
And now ?
Shionada on the bank of the Chikuma-gawa river is opposite Yawata, the next station. In 1843, there were 116 households, one honjin, two waki-honjin and seven inns where travellers could wait for the ferry. A first bridge had been destroyed by floodings in 1740 and was never rebuilt. A pontoon bridge was still in place in 1875 when the picture was taken. This pontoon bridge was tied to a large boulder with a hole. This boulder is still there today and Nishijima depicts it in his print. The first permanent bridge was bullt for the railway early in the 20th century.
Shionada and the next stations of Iwamurata, Yawata and Mochizuki are now part of Saku town. At Shionada, the honjin is still standing in a quiet neighbourhood as can be seen in the pictures below.
Shionada: The location of the ferry in the print
Another view of the ferry as in the print
Shionada: The village with the railway bridge
The former honjin in Shionada
The boulder with the hole for the pontoon bridge
In a shrine in Shionada
Nishijima Katsuyuki - Series of the Kisokaido - Shionada