Katsushika Hokusai’s Ukiyo-e I will explain Watermill at Onden in Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.
The village of Aoyama Onden in this ukiyo-e is around present-day Harajuku in Jingumae, Shibuya Ward.
At that time, it was a rural area where such waterwheels could be seen everywhere.
The Onden River (Shibuya River) was flowing nearby.
This water wheel was built along the Shibuya River and was one of the famous sights of Edo.
At the time this ukiyo-e was drawn, waterwheels were a valuable power source, and people lived by polishing rice and milling flour with this power.
The contrast between the lively people working and the waterwheels that are turned by the strong water flow and Mt. Fuji towering in the distance is interesting.
However, the direction of rotation of the water wheel is opposite to normal. I feel like I want to emphasize that the momentum is amazing in the opposite flow.
The source of the Shibuya River, which still flows through the valley of Shibuya, is the pond in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.
Further upstream is the Tamagawa Aqueduct drawn from the upper reaches of the Tama River.
This ukiyo-e is from around 1830 to 1832. Hokusai is around 72 years old.
