13 Numazu Twilight

[Music] this painting depicts travelers heading toward New Mazu Juku along the banks of the Kano River just at [Music] twilight the distance from Mishimuku to Numazu Juku was less than 6 km and it was mostly a gentle downhill [Music] the Teddo crosses the tracks of the Izu Hakonei railway and after passing the Senoi it is already outside Mishimuku and from here it is a slow descent down the hill to New [Music] Mazu after passing the everlasting light of Akiba shrine you will come to Fushimi Noa Cherizuka and further on you will cross the National Route 1 New Mazu bypass a little to the left on the bypass you will come to Kakitaga Park which is fed by melted snow from MT Fuji the teada runs straight ahead from the traffic light at Yaha Newazu bypass and crosses the Kisaga River passing by rows of pine trees in Nagasawa at that time this row of pine trees and the Kisaga River were the landmarks of New Mazu Juku and the area from this point onward was under the domain of the new Mazu clan the Teedo merges with Yakira Zaen from the right side as soon as it joins 380 this yaki za alen is today’s route 246 which goes around the north side of [Music] Hakonei the Tedo turns left at the UK area on a narrower road keeping the Ko River on the [Music] left the Tedo now continues along the bank on the right side of the embankment after crossing the Curo’s bridge shown in the photo you will come to the location of the twilight painted by [Music] Hiroshi after passing this point the road merges again with Route 380 and after passing the present Masono Bridge it turns left before Amuchi and heads south in the Edeto period this area was already within Numazu Castle and the castle tower could be seen on the right in the Edeto period this area was a port using the Kano River and was a key location for water transportation in [Music] Numazu let’s take a closer look at Hiroshi’s painting a large full moon is beginning to rise in the slightly darkened blue sky giving a little brightness to the Kano River and the Toko as it begins to wne at the end of the road which curves to the left we can already see new Mazu juku with its rows of private houses in front of it is the San Mayashi bridge over the Mujinaga River the town of Samashi with its rows of whitewalled storehouses prospered as a port town two straw covered transport boats are mured on the Kano [Music] River the four travelers ahead of them have already reached the San Mashi Bridge the mother and child following them look a little tired and their hands are weak from holding their walking sticks they are carrying a ladle so they must be two people who are going to ice for new chem since when travelers who were going to ice began to carry a ladle in the Edeto period those who carried a ladle were a mark of a person going to ice and could receive arms here and there along the way it is said that food and money were put into the ladle and sometimes people were even allowed to stay overnight in their homes in recent years however it has been suggested that these were the masters and disciples of the bikunis who traveled around the country performing their [Music] art another conspicuous feature is travelers carrying Tangu masks during the Edeto period Conpira dojo dressed in white with Tangu masks on their backs traveled throughout the country to spread the Conira faith a custom also emerged in which people from all over the country would make a pilgrimage to Suki Zazu San with Tangu masks on their backs when making a pilgrimage to conquer a deanjin in Suki in recent years however a theory has emerged that these people may have been aesthetic practitioners who went to Mount Tangir in [Music] Beyond one question arises here first please take a look at this painting which I believe to be a second print and which I did not adopt don’t you think the balance between the vermilion color of the Tangu’s mask and the child’s kimona and the slightly lighter vermilion color on the tree trunk is more natural however judging from the degree of smashing of the print it seems to be a second [Music] print please take a look at the next picture we adopted this painting is indeed a first print but I thought the color scheme of the wood and the Tangu’s mask dark red and light red were [Music] [Applause] [Music] reversed it would be more natural to assume that this is a second print i suspect that Hiroshi’s color scheme instructions for the first printing were incorrect or that the craftsman misplaced the wood blocks [Music] now the reissue edition shows a view of Mount Fuji over Numazu Castle from the opposite bank of the Kano River or from what is now the port of Numazu fuji over Numazu Castle from the opposite bank of the Kano River or around the present-day port of Numazu gasho editions depict the process of making Katsu aashi a specialty of Numazu at the time Numazu was a major producer of katsu abashi and sababashi which were also paid as taxes to the Hojo clan the technique of roasting and drying fish by burning wood spread and it seems that a product similar to today’s dried bonito was [Music] distributed poem editin depicts Mount Fuji and Mount Aidika the end of Numazujuku and the marker pole the wooden board this indicates that the painting depicts the area around Nishimado west of Numazujuku where the Tedo parted from San [Music] Beno i actually went to this location route 380 joins at this end but it doesn’t face the river as a view so it looks a bit strange doesn’t it [Music] this photo is taken on the bank of the Kano River which is closer to the composition of Hiroshi’s painting the Mujinaga River is coverted and no longer exists as a river here I noticed something a little strange this location faces almost due west with the Kano River to the left in other words we are not facing the direction of the full moon’s ascent but the direction of the full moon setting and sunset since the full moon rises in the east at twilight as the subtitle suggests Hiroshig clearly misunderstood the direction of this [Music] location this is the entrance to the road that goes around the castle along the castle perimeter just before the ATMI intersection it is now called Kaigeradori Street beyond this point on the right there was the keep of Numazu Castle although it is now a park from this end to the left is the embankment of the Kano River which in the Edeto period functioned as a port to support the distribution of goods in New [Music] Mazu please also see Google Street View looking almost directly west from above here the Toko has been added in orange you can see that New Mazu has changed a lot since those days when there were only forests and a few houses of course we can still see the setting sun and the setting moon but even now we cannot see the rising moon in this direction the teo continues along Sanen Matsubara and Numazu toward Harajuku [Music] [Music]

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Ukiyoe of the Fifty-three Stages of the Tokaido drawn by Hiroshige Utagawa, I researched the view from where it was seen and actually went there. The route to the places depicted together with explanations of the history and topography of the area are also included in the book.

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Fifty-three Stages of the Tokaido
Numazu
Twilight
Hoeido edition, painting by Utagawa Hiroshige
Tokyo National Museum Collection

This painting depicts travelers heading toward Numazu-juku along the banks of the Kano River just at twilight.

The distance from Mishima-juku to Numazu-juku was less than 6 km, and it was mostly a gentle downhill.

The Tokaido crosses the tracks of the Izu Hakone Railway, and after passing the Sengan-Doi, it is already outside Mishima-juku, and from here it is a slow descent down the hill to Numazu.

After passing the everlasting light of Akiba Shrine, you will come to Fushimi no Ichirizuka, and further on, you will cross the National Route 1 Numazu Bypass. A little to the left on the bypass, you will come to Kakitagawa Park, which is fed by melted snow from Mt.Fuji.

The Tokaido runs straight ahead from the traffic light at Yahata, Numazu Bypass, and crosses the Kisegawa River, passing by rows of pine trees in Nagasawa. At that time, this row of pine trees and the Kisegawa River were the landmarks of Numazu-juku, and the area from this point onward was under the domain of the Numazu clan.

The Tokaido merges with Yakurazawa Oukan from the right side as soon as it joins 380. This Yakurazawa Oukan is today’s Route 246, which goes around the north side of Hakone. The Tokaido turns left at the Ooka area on a narrower road, keeping the Kano River on the left.

The Tokaido now continues along the bank on the right side of the embankment. After crossing the Kurose Bridge shown in the photo, you will come to the location of the “Twilight” painted by Hiroshige.

After passing this point, the road merges again with Route 380, and after passing the present Misono Bridge, it turns left before Otemachi and heads south. In the Edo period, this area was already within Numazu Castle, and the castle tower could be seen on the right. In the Edo period, this area was a port using the Kano River and was a key location for water transportation in Numazu.

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