Kisokaidô: Narai - Station 34
Keizai Eisen - Series of the 69 stations of the Kisokaido: Station Narai (35th print), Famous Products Shop (Narai shuku meisanten no zu)
© Trustees of the British Museum
Narai was a major station where travellers could rest after the ascension of the Torii Pass. The subject of this print is the Orokugushi shop, a vendor of combs and lacquer objects, famous products of this region. The panel indicates 名物 お六櫛 Famous products Orokugushi (Six Combs). A young samurai (1) and his companion turn as they pass in front of the shop. A porter (2) wipes away his sweat as he deposits his load in front of the proprietor (3). On the outer edge of the raised floor is a client (4) viewing samples offered by a saleswoman. Another client sits beside her and behind him at the rear of the shop, an elderly craftsman (5) makes a comb. A woodcutter (6) can be seen coming down a path to the left. The road itself drops sharply into the valley on the left where the thatched roofs of the station (7) and a couple of sedge hats are visible. In the background, is sacred Mt.Ontake.
The printers were not satisfied with this image and a number of changes, especially to the distant mountains were made. In the earliest version, the farthest range of mountains is printed without an outline, set against a red gradation. The mountains are overprinted with a gray block to represent the tree line. Then as here the mountains are simplified with a gray block. In the third state, the gray gradation disappeared as the blocks were modified and the lower publisher seal was broken. Then Eisen signature is removed and the mountain blocks are printed gray.
(Source: The 69 stations of the Kisokaido, Sebastian Izzard, Brazillier 2008)
Narai - Reproduction of the first state. Note the difference on the mountains
Otoki shop (closed) in 2012 (Google streetview)
Narai and Narai river ca.1880
A shop in 1875
Shizume-jinja Shrine at the foot of Torii-toge pass
And now ?
We are at 64ri 22 cho or 254km/158mi from Nihonbashi. Narai was an important village with shops and craftsmen and over 15 inns. Forgotten until the 1970’s, the station was “rediscovered” by tourists and is now one of the best preserved stations of the journey. The Otoku shop shown in the print does not exist anymore (only a sign on a building), but several of the old inns Echigo-ya, Abura-ya, Ise-ya and Tokuri-ya are still operating. Many old buildings are lining the village main street. Towards the exit of the village at the foot of the Torii-toge pass is the Shizume-jinja shrine and its red torii. It was originally built near the pass in the 12th century in memory of a local virtuous man and destroyed in 1583 during the war between the Takeda and Kiso clans. It was rebuilt close to the village in 1615 after an epidemic spread through Narai. It announces the steep climb to the pass, one of the main difficulties of the road. The pass links the Narai river valley and the Kiso river valley which we will now follow towards the South.
Lacquer and traditional comb manufacturing is very active. Hair ornaments or kanzashi were an important attribute of the courtesans as can be seen in this reproduction of a Harunobu print by David Bull in his Arts of Japan series. Today kanzashi are still worn during weddings and other traditional festivities.
Towards Torii Pass with the old paving
Echigo-ya inn
Entrance of Echigo-ya inn
A room in Echigo-ya inn
Tokuri-ya inn
A street in Narai. in foreground, Nakamura house, built 1830
The old notice board at the exit of the station
Iseya Inn (1818)
The old storehouse at the Nakamura Lacquer Museum
Shizume-Jinja Shrine at the foot of Torii-toge pass
Lacquer comb from Kiso region (ca. 1880)
Lacquer comb from Kiso region (ca. 1900)
Lacquer comb from Kiso region (ca. 1920)
The great Kiso wooden bridge over the Narai river
(rebuilt 1990)
Towards Torii Pass
David Bull - Series "Art of Japan": Kanzashi (Reproduction of a Harunobu print from "Seiro Bijin awase" (Beauties of the Green Houses - 2018) (originally published in 1770)