東海道五十三次の解説 はじめに
Explanation of the 53 Stations of the Tokaido Seriously
Following Katsushika Hokusai’s Thirty-Six Views of Mt. Fuji, we will be publishing an explanation of Ando Hiroshige’s Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido.
When I was 43 years old, I actually completed the 53 stations of Tokaido in two weeks.
At the time, JR Tokai was running a Tokaido walking campaign, and I got a certification stamp at the event station, applied, and received a certificate number 189.
It was carried out during the May 2001 holidays, but I did not ride the Shinkansen.
The reason I decided to walk through the 53 Stations of the Tokaido was because I wanted to see for myself the scenery of the Edo period, which was depicted in ukiyo-e prints.
At the time, he was an office worker and it was difficult to take long vacations, so he had three options: winter vacation,''May holidays,” and “summer vacation.”
During winter vacation, Hakone Pass and Suzuka Pass are extremely cold. During summer vacation, it is difficult to traverse the scorching midday sun.
Therefore, it was held during the May holidays. Since I was taking advantage of the May holidays and 5 days of paid vacation, I had to complete the course for two weeks straight.
On the way, I almost gave up because of the pain in my legs, but I made it through safely.
During the Edo period, trips such as visits to Ise Shrine were popular as entertainment for the common people. There is a picture of Sugoroku in Ukiyo-e.
There are three versions of Hiroshige Ando’s 53 Stations of the Tokaido: the Hoeido version, the Gyosho version (Esakiya version), and the Reisho version (Marusei version).
The Hoeido version is from 1833. This Hoeido version is famous.
The Gyosho version was published in 1841. It is called Gyosho Tokaido'' because the title is written in Gyosho script. It is about 10 years after the Hoeido version, and the taste has changed. The composition is also simplified and drawn with a relaxed, light touch. In Hiroshige's commentary by Minoru Uchida, he simply describes it asthe taste of ochazuke.”
The “Reisho version” dates from the 2nd to 5th years of the Kaei period (1849 to 1852). It is called “Reisho Tokaido” because the title is written in Reisho script.
The composition is slightly inferior compared to the Hoeido and Gyosho versions. However, it is interesting.
There is also an ukiyo-e print of the 53 stations of the Tokaido by Katsushika Hokusai.
Ukiyo-e includes the① Hoeido edition,''②Gyosho edition,” ➂Reisho edition,'' and ④Hokusai edition,” and explanations are based on the “Hoeido edition.”
In the images, I will ⑤post photos of the author’s actual journey through the 53 stations of the Tokaido. ⑥Post an image of the stamp stamped at the station as proof of arrival at the post station.
If a station stamp was not available,⑥ a station ticket was used instead. There are several unmanned stations with no ticket vending machines, and there are also sections with no images.
Starting from next week, I will be explaining each post station from Kyoshi (No. 55) to Nihonbashi (No. 1) once a week.
The reason I will start with Kyoshi is because this is the order in which the author completed the steps.
At the time, JR Tokai was running a Tokaido walking campaign, and I got a certification stamp at the event station, applied, and received a certificate number 189.
Hoeido edition
There is a picture of Sugoroku in Ukiyo-e.
