Morning View of Nihon Bridge, no. 1 from the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō

This is the first print in Hiroshige’s masterpiece, the Hōeidō edition of The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō. Nihonbashi, or the Japan Bridge, was considered the starting point of all five highways connecting Edo with the rest of the country. A morning glow in the sky forms a backdrop for the procession of a daimyo, or lord, as it begins to cross the bridge. Street vendors with fish or vegetables slung on their poles scramble to get out of the way. This scene representing many “beginnings”—of the day, of stately departure, and of stocking up for business— makes a fitting opening for the series.