About This Print
Sources: website of The Fitzwilliam Musem http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/gallery/japan/gallery/textA.htm and the website of the National Diet Library http://www.ndl.go.jp/landmarks/e/sights/saruwakacho/
Pictured is the Mitsui Exchange Bank building, its flag proudly flying, along Suruga-chō, a street famous for its views of Mt. Fuji and Edo Castle. The bank building was designed by Kisuke Shimizu II (二代清水喜助,1815-1881) and completed in 1874. The stone walls of the Castle are visible at the far end of the street. This view is very similar to the below triptych designed by the artist in 1874. For still another view of the Mitsui Bank see this collection's print Picture of Mitsui Group's Western-style Three Story House at Surugacho, Tokyo by Utagawa Kuniteru II (IHL Cat. #342.)
The hustle and bustle of Suruga-cho/Formation of the national banking system, 1874
This collection's print presents us with the present view (今) of Suruga. The matching past, or old (古), view can be seen in the top half of uncut oban-size sheet, shown below. The top print provides us a "past" view, when the area was filled with merchant shops, many of them marked with the Mitsui crest.
It is one of at least 32 views, contained on 16 uncut oban-size sheets, in the series Famous Places of Tokyo: Past and Present.
The Series: Famous Places of Tokyo: Past and Present
A series of at least sixteen uncut oban-size sheets depicting a past or old (古) view on the top sheet, and present or now (今) view, on the bottom sheet, of a particular area of Tokyo. Many of the views are similar to those found in Hiroshige's One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei).
Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #1284 |
| Title or Description | Suruga-chō, Evening View of Mitsui Bank with Mt Fuji Suruga-chō Mitsui ginkō yūkei no Fuji 猿る賀町三井銀行夕景の富士 |
| Series | Famous Places of Tokyo: Past and The Present (Kokon Tokyo meisho 古今東京名所) |
| Artist | Utagawa Hiroshige III (1842–1894) |
| Signature |  |
| Seal | no seal |
| Publication Date |  |
| Publisher |  The cartouche shown immediately to the left, and appearing in the left margin of the print, contains the publishing information and reads: 出板人横山丁三丁目二番地辻岡文助 Shuppanjin Yokoyamachō Sanchōme 2-banchi Tsujioka Bunsuke. |
| Carver | |
| Impression | excellent |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | good - ragged trimming to left margin, light wrinkling of paper due to removal from backing |
| Genre | nishiki-e; meisho-e |
| Miscellaneous |  |
| Format | chūban yoko-e |
| H x W Paper | 7 1/8 x 9 1/2 in. (18.1 x 24.1 cm) |
| H x W Image | 6 9/16 x 8 11/16 in. (16.7 x 22.1 cm) |
| Literature | |
| Collections This Print | The Agency for Cultural Affairs Cultural Heritage Online, The Postal Museum Japan 164923 |
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