About This Print
This color lithograph of Akogi Heiji Monument in Tsu City (Tsu-shi), the current capital of Mie Prefecture, about 45km north of Ise Jingū, is the twelfth and last print in a set of twelve prints of famous views/places in Ise, an old province in Japan that corresponds to most of modern Mie Prefecture, including Ise Jingū and Ise City. The legend of Akogi no Heiji, the young fisherman who was executed for capturing a rare fish in Akogi Bay, a preserve belonging to Ise Jingū, to cure his sick mother, has been told in chronicles, plays and popular lore.
Inset
Source: website of Tsu City https://www.info.city.tsu.mie.jp/www/contents/1001000005872/index.html
The inset features Karasu Shrine 香良洲神社 (formerly known as 香良州神社) in Tsu City built by Emperor Kanmei (reigned 539-571) to enshrine the deity Wakahirume-no-Mikoto, sometimes described as the younger sister of the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu and the goddess of weaving. Pilgrims often visit this temple when visiting Ise Jingū.
 Entrance to Karasu Shrine, Tsu City |  |
About The Set "Famous Places in Ise - Souvenir Pictures of Famous Places in Ise"
The publisher, Furushima Takejirō, published twelve prints in February 1897 with the main title "Famous Place of Ise" and the subtitle "Souvenir Pictures of Famous Places in Ise." The entire set of twelve prints was enclosed in a decorative envelope (see below) picturing Ise Jingū's cedar trees and Naikū Shrine, bathed in the glow of the rising sun. This set of prints carries a release date of February 10, 1897. Fifteen days later, on February 25, 1897, prints one through eight only were enclosed in a different decorative envelope (see below) picturing Meoto Iwa (Married-Couple Rocks) at Futamigaura at sunrise along with pilgrims entering the Ise Shrine and released for sale. Both sets were sold to pilgrims in Tsu City and Yamada Town, stop-overs for pilgrims on their way to Ise Jingū.
These prints showed off the latest in color lithography techniques, with many of the prints achieving effects such as bokashi, a gradual gradation of colored ink typically used in woodblock printing.
 Map of Sangū Rail Line click on image to enlarge | It has been suggested that this set of prints was issued to promote the upcoming completion of the Sangū tetsudō 参宮鉄道 rail line (Shrine-bound railway) which began operation in 1893, but would only reach Ise Shrine proper (Yamada Station) in November 1897. (Prior to its November completion the rail line ended in Miyagawa, about 8 km from Ise Jingū.) To support this theory, it is pointed out that two of the prints (prints numbered 11 and 12) depict scenes in Tsu City, the starting point for the Sangū, and one print (number 8) depicts Yamada, whose rail station, Yamada Station, the final stop on the Sangū, was to open in November.1 |
On the back of the envelope containing the twelve print set (see image below), are the names of the sales office, Furujima Branch Office in Yamada-Onoechō, Ise Province (a branch of the publisher Takejirō Furujima, who was famous in Osaka at the time), and the distributors Sankyō Limited Liability Company in Yamada-Okamotochō, Ise Province; Hashizume Gohei in Yamada-Uraguchichō, Ise Province; and Ōtake Takesaburō in Tsu-Nishichō, Ise Province.
1 Summarized and translated from the website of Mie Prefectural Museum https://www.bunka.pref.mie.lg.jp/MieMu/82889046576.htm
The Set
| Print Number | Title | Inset Title |
| 1 (壱) | The Sanctuary Aramatsuri-no-miya of Naiku Ise Shrine 天照皇太神宮 内宮 | not applicable |
| 2 (二) | Toyouke Daijingū Shrine 豊受太神宮 外宮 | not applicable |
| 3 (三) | Illustration of Daidai-kagura 大々神楽之図 | Illustration of Kagura Hall 御神楽殿之図 |
| 4 (四) | View of Uji Bridge 宇治橋之景 | Naiku or Main Sanctuary of Ise 内宮神苑正面 |
| 5 (五) | View of Magatama Pond 曲玉池之景 | View of the Main Shrine Garden of Gekū 外宮神苑正面景 |
| 6 (六) | View of Futamigaura 二見浦之景 | View of Hinjitsukan 賓日館及海水景 |
| 7 (七) | Illustration of Furuichi Dance 古市踊之図 | not applicable |
| 8 (八) | Distant View of Yamada Town from Miyagawa Bridge 宮川橋より山田町を望む | not applicable |
| 9 (九) | View of Toyomiyazaki Library 豊宮崎文庫之景 | Agricultural Building 農業舘 |
| 10 (十) | View of Tsukiyomi-no-miya 月夜見宮之景 | View of Asama dake in Snow 朝熊岳雪景 |
| 11 (十一) | View of Tsu Park [renamed Kairaku Park] 津公園之景 | Kōzan Shrine 高山神社 |
| 12 (十二) | View of Akogi Heiji Monument 阿漕平治塚之景 | View of Karasu Imperial Shinto Shrine 御香良州神社景 |
Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #2351 |
| Title (Description) | View of Akogi Heiji Monument, [print] 12 津公園之景 [as shown in red and white title cartouche upper left-hand corner] 十二 [as printed in right margin] Inset: View of Karasu Imperial Shinto Shrine 御香良州神社景 |
| Series | Famous Places in Ise - Souvenir Pictures of Famous Places in Ise 伊勢名所 [as shown across top of print] 伊勢土産名所図画 [as printed in upper right margin] |
| Artist | Hirose Harutaka (1870-?) |
| Signature |  |
| Seal | 春孝 Harutaka (as shown above) |
| Publication Date |  printed: February 1, 1897 明治三十年二月一日印刷 issued: February 10, 1897 仝二月十日発行 |
| Publisher |  印刷兼發行者 [printer and publisher] 大阪...[Osaka - address of publisher] 古島竹次郎 [Furushima Takejirō] Source: website of Stategic Management Laboratory Inc. https://sml.co.jp/documents/toppan-ichida.html?page=5 Furushima created both lithographs and woodblock prints and was a member of the Copperplate and Lithography Association of the Osaka Chamber of Commerce which had 27 companies listed as members in 1894. |
| Impression | excellent |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | excellent |
| Genre | meisho-e |
| Miscellaneous | color lithograph 色石版画; all rights reserved 版權所有 printed in upper right margin |
| Format | chuban |
| H x W Paper | 7 3/8 x 10 1/16 in. (18.7 x 25.6 cm) |
| H x W Image | 5 3/4 x 8 5/8 (14.6 x 21.9 cm) |
| Literature | |
| Collections This Print | Mie Prefectural Library [entire 12 print set] https://www.bunka.pref.mie.lg.jp/viewer/history/00011/book_swf.htm |
8/19/2020 created
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