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Utagawa Hiroshige - Series of the 69 stations of the Kisokaido: Niekawa (34th print) (Niekawa)
(Edition done in 1950's by Kyoto Hanga-in under the supervision of Narazaki Muneshige, the most faithful to the first edition)
The road now reaches the Kiso region itself (but not the Kiso river) and we follow the valley of the Narai river : it is the beginning of the Kisoji, the section which gave its name to this journey. There are 11 stations in this section. An inn in Niekawa is the topic of this print. It is the end of the day and travelers reach the inn. In the well of the entrance, two travelers (1) are untying their leggings while the owner (2) kneels and welcomes them to his establishment and the lady of the house (3) advances to serve them tea. On the left, a palanquin bearer sits, legs crossed, smoking his pipe after the day’s work. His palanquin (4) rests on the street in front of him while other guests’ loads and packages are scattered on the floor behind. In the foreground, a porter prepares to unload his horse with its saddle-cloth (5) bearing the number 34 (三十四) referring to the 34th station. He has knotted the horse’s tail to prevent it from whipping him while he takes off its load. On the veranda of the second floor, two guests relax, both dressed in plaid cotton robes supplied by the inn. In the street, a samurai strolls to the right a book in hand.
The signs hanging from the eaves would usually be used to name the inn itself and the parties staying there. As in a number of prints in the Tokaido series, Hiroshige availed himself of the opportunity to advertise the publisher いせ利 (Iseri) on the right (6) and the cosmetic manufacturer Sakamoto (7) on the left. Mr.Sakamoto (坂本) advertised his cosmetic products in books, magazines and during play intermissions in numerous theaters. He had signed a contract with a famous kabuki actor Segawa Kikunojo V (1802-1832) who was using his white make-up powder and every print depicting the actor had to mention the product. This kind of advertisement was quite common at that time... as it is now.
The print did not have many modifications apart from the sky gradation which became clearer and the print flatter.
(Source: The 69 stations of the Kisokaido, Sebastian Izzard, Brazillier 2008)
An inn ca. 1885
Inside the inn (hand colored picture dated 1870)
Niekawa ca. 1880
Niekawa ca. 1880
Niekawa ca. 1880
And now ?
We are now at 62 ri, 27 cho or 246km/153mi from Nihonbashi and there are still 287km/180mi before reaching Kyoto. Niekawa was a border town between the domains of Matsumoto and Owari. It was destroyed in a fire in 1930, but old houses can be seen in the neighboring hamlet of Kaginote and Hirazawa town, an unofficial intermediate station. In 1843, there were 124 buildings with one honjin, one waki-honjin and 25 inns. All these have now disappeared and a sake shop has replaced the waki-honjin. There was also a small control barrier (bansho) at Niekawa originally established in 1335 by the Kiso clan and then operated by the Yamamura magistrates of Fukushima from the 17th century. The barrier was strategically situated so it was difficult to pass unnoticed, but the building itself is small, only three rooms and a tiny office. Large rocks secure the shingled roofs against the strong winds going through the valley. The barrier was destroyed in 1869 during Meiji restoration and the liberalization of travel. But in 1976, a reproduction was rebuilt and is now a tourist attraction.
Lacquer is the town speciality. Lacquer or urushi in Japanese comes from the sap of the lacquer tree (toxicodendron vernicifluum or Rhus). It is applied in thin layers with long drying time between each layer. Drying must be done in humid environment (over 80% moisture) and takes between 8h and 20h. A nice looking lacquer requires between 6 and 18 layers. Lacquers from Kiso region are famous for the depth of their brown tone and are used for dishes and lunch boxes (bento).
Hirasawa lacquer
Hirasawa lacquer - Bento lunch box
Niekawa checkpoint
Niekawa checkpoint
Kaginote village between Niekawa and Narai
David Bull - Jed Henri - The Old Road (A Japan journey) (2019)
Nishijima Katsuyuki - Series of Kisokaido - Niekawa
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