Distant View of Kinryūzan Temple and Azuma Bridge (Azumabashi Kinryūzan enbō), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)

No. 39 (spring section) on the title page for the series. This image provides another example of Hiroshige’s love for complex, cut-off compositions. At dusk, a roofed boat quietly, calmly glides across the scene. Inside, the back of a woman can just be seen. On the opposite shore, a view of Kinryūzan Sensōji temple’s main hall and pagoda is depicted, while the view framed by the boat’s roof shows Azuma Bridge and Mt. Fuji. The cherry blossom petals dancing in the breeze and the scenery suggest that this is the west bank of the Sumida River in the neighbor-hood of Mukōjima, an area famous for its cherry blossoms. If this is the case, the woman may be a geisha of this neighborhood, enjoying flower-viewing.