Katsushika Hokusai’s Ukiyo-e I will explain Dawn at Isawa in Kai Province in Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.
Isawa in this ukiyo-e is present-day Isawa, Fuefuki City, Yamanashi Prefecture.
This is a post station on the Koshu Highway on the banks of the Fuefuki River, which is the junction for Mishimagoe.
Today Isawa is a hot spring resort in the suburbs of Tokyo.
hours before sunrise. The Fuefuki River that quietly flows behind the post town and the morning mist at the foot of Mt. Fuji create a clear atmosphere.
Beyond the morning mist, the majestic figure of Mt. Fuji rising in the morning glow is about to appear. In the foreground, there are many huts standing in a forest.
Horses and men who stand early are hurriedly lining up.
In the composition of this ukiyo-e print, the post town in the foreground, the Fuefuki River in the middle, and Mt. Fuji in the distance harmonize with the scenery.
You can see the Kamakura Itabashi on the right.
Before the war, farmers dug wells necessary for cultivating vineyards in Isawa Onsen today, and the water was around 25 degrees Celsius and smelled of hydrogen sulfide. It was rumored that there would be hot springs.
In December 1956, when he dug a well on Dohei Komatsu’s site at his own expense, a hot spring with a temperature of 40°C or higher gushed out.
In response to this, Roman baths and playground equipment were installed, and it gained popularity locally as a leisure facility during the Showa period.
This ukiyo-e is from around 1830 to 1832. Hokusai is around 72 years old.
