Shiba Kōkan
1787 (Tenmei 7)
Tangible Cultural Property, designated by Sakata city
Donated by the Homma family
This portrays the landscape of the area around Mimeguri Inari Shrine, part of the environs of the Sumida river, Edo. One can see the boats coming up and down the Sumida river, and Mount Tsukuba can be seen in the distance. With the people coming and going on the causeway, worshippers walking the pilgrimage path to Mimeguri Shrine, and samurai chatting amongst themselves, this image allows us to see the daily reality of Edo.
Kōkan made two pieces called “View of Mimeguri,” with the first being the inaugural Japanese copper corrosion engraving made in 1783 (Tenmei 3), and the second depicting the same location, four years later. The viewpoint of this painting is lower than that of the earlier work, with more of an emphasis on how the viewer observes the perspective of the work. In the above section, the roman-lettered caption of “MIMEGULI” is written in regular script, without switching the direction of the lettering.