The theme day of December, 2007: A bridge

This is a photo of Nihonbashi, meaning "Japan bridge", in Tokyo.

The area around the bridge used to be the centre of the commerce in Edo, a former name as Tokyo in Edo era(1604-1867) and now in the area some established shops and department stores, along with many banks, stand side by side.

By the way, this Ukiyoe below expresses the scenery of the same place about 300 years ago. There used to be a fish market near there, removing to Tsukiji later, and people carrying fish with a wooden pole seemed to walk around there. to sell them. Now over the bridge, unfortunately, as the photo shows, is running a express way, covering the center of Tokyo city and there is nothing left of the image of Edo era.


Cited from a book, Tokaido-Gojusantsuzi Fukei Zokuga, Iwanami Shoten, 1918.

The bridge, Nihonbashi, is also known as the starting point of Tokaido, a road connecting Tokyo with Kyoto. After the capital moved to Edo, Tokyo, from Kyoto, this road became the most important road in Japan, with 53 main towns for accommodating travelers along the road. These towns are now familiar by a series of Ukiyoe paintings, Tokaido-gojusantugi, by a painter in Edo era, Hiroshige Utagawa.

Just for informatiion, the following is a list of these 53 towns and I upload the Ukiyoes of these 53 towns, plus Nihonbashi in Tokyo and Sanjo-oohashi in Kyoto, at the other six posts below. Note that these picture are cited from a book, Tokaido-Gojusantsuzi Fukei Zokuga, Iwanami Shoten, 1918.

53 towns between Tokyo(NIhonbashi), with Kyoto(Sanjo-oohashi).
1.Shinagawa(品川) 2.Kawasaki(川崎) 3.Kanagawa(神奈川) 4.Hodogaya(保土ヶ谷) 5.Totsuka(戸塚) 6.Fujisawa(藤沢) 7.Hiratsuka(平塚) 8.Ohiso(大磯) 9.Odawara(小田原) 10.Hakone(箱根) 11.Mishima(三島) 12.Numazu(沼津) 13.Hara(原) 14.Yoshiwara(吉原) 15.Kabahara(蒲原) 16.Yui(由井) 17.Okitsu(奥津) 18.Ejiri(江尻) 19.Fuchu(府中) 20.Maruko(丸子) 21.Okabe(岡部) 22.Fujieda(藤枝) 23.Shimada(島田) 24.Kanaya(金谷) 25.Nissaka(日坂) 26.Kakegawa(掛川) 27.Fukuroi(袋井) 28.MItsuke(見附) 29.Hamamatsu(浜松) 30.Maisaka(舞阪) 31.Arai(荒井) 32.Shirasuka(白須賀) 33.Futagawa(二川) 34.Yoshida(吉田) 35.Goyu(御油) 36.Akasaka(赤坂) 37.Fujikawa(藤川) 38.Okazaki(岡崎) 39.Chiryu(池鯉鮒) 40.Narumi(鳴海) 41.Miya(宮) 42.Kuwana(桑名) 43.Yokkaichi(四日市) 44.Ishiyakushi(石薬師) 45.Shono(庄野) 46.Kameyama(亀山) 47.Seki(関) 48.Sakashita(坂下) 49.Tsuchiyama(土山) 50.Minakuchi(水口) 51.Ishibe(石部) 52.Kusatsu(草津) 53.Ohtsu(大津)

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More than 100 City Daily Photo blogs participate in this theme day. Do pay them a visit but remember that due to time difference you might not see the proper photo.

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