Nakagawaguchi (Mouth of Nakagawa River)

From Hiroshige's *One Hundred Views of Edo*, this woodblock print depicts the bustling mouth of the Nakagawa River in Edo-period Japan. Multiple flat-bottomed boats navigate shallow waters while figures pole vessels or wade through reeds lining both banks. The composition uses Hiroshige's signature aerial perspective, stacking horizontal registers of activity—distant boats, mid-ground figures, foreground landscape details—to suggest depth without Western vanishing-point perspective. A dramatic red band of sky bisects the upper portion, contrasting with blue water and green vegetation rendered through precise woodblock layering. The print exemplifies ukiyo-e's sophisticated visual economy: minimal line work combined with bold color fields creates a dynamic scene of everyday labor and waterborne commerce.