Artwork

Meguro Drum Bridge and Sunset Hill, from One Hundred Views of Famous Places in Edo

Meguro Drum Bridge and Sunset Hill, from One Hundred Views of Famous Places in Edo is a print by the Impressionist artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It dates from 1857 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The woodblock print depicts the arched stone bridge spanning the Meguro River in Edo, today Tokyo.

About this work

To see more prints of daily life in old Japan, look up *japan, edo period (1615–1868)*.

Snow swirls over a curved stone bridge packed with people in straw hats and umbrellas. Below, a shop roof peeks out beside the artist’s signature.

This print is one of 119 views of old Tokyo. The bridge looks like a drum’s rim, so locals called it Drum Bridge. The shop served warm red-bean soup with rice cakes—comfort food on a cold day.

To see more prints of daily life in old Japan, look up *japan, edo period (1615–1868)*.

Overview

The woodblock print depicts the arched stone bridge spanning the Meguro River in Edo, today Tokyo. Snow drifts across the scene, while pedestrians in straw hats and umbrellas traverse the bridge. A modest shop roof appears in the lower right, near the artist’s seal, anchoring the bustling winter tableau.

Subject & Meaning

The bridge, locally called the Drum Bridge for its drum‑like curvature, serves as the focal point, illustrating everyday winter travel. The presence of a shop known for serving warm shiruko mochi—a sweet red‑bean soup with rice cakes—highlights the seasonal comfort foods that sustained city dwellers during cold weather.

Technique & Style

Executed in the ukiyo‑e tradition, the print combines delicate line work with subtle color washes to convey the swirling snow and the texture of the stone arches. The composition balances foreground activity with the distant rise of Sunset Hill, employing perspective to guide the viewer’s eye across the bridge.

History & Provenance

Part of the series *One Hundred Views of Famous Places in Edo*, this image is one of 119 prints documenting the city’s landmarks before the Meiji Restoration. The series was produced in the late Edo period, offering a visual record of urban life and notable sites such as the Drum Bridge and the nearby Sunset Hill, famed for its autumn maples.

Artist & collection

Artist

Utagawa Hiroshige

Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川広重) or Andō Hiroshige (安藤広重), born Andō Tokutarō (安藤徳太郎; 1797 – 12 October 1858), was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, considered the last great master of that tradition.