足高山の景　沼津　原迄一り半

About this print

Beyond a large pine tree are snowy Mount Fuji and a range of blue mountains. A plank bridge crosses the river, and beside it go a horse carrying a load and a man walking behind. On the road in front, a traveler holding a straw hat leads a child by the hand, and other children play with a white dog. "Ashitakayama" in the title is an old way of writing today's Mount Ashitaka, a volcano just south of Mount Fuji.

In 1843 (Tenpo 14), the Numazu post town had 55 inns (hatago). The town had Numazu Castle, which Mizuno Tadatomo began building in 1777 (An'ei 6). From 1868 (Meiji 1) it was used for the buildings of the Numazu Military Academy, but in 1872 (Meiji 5) it was sold at auction and torn down. The text written on the print includes the words "ruins of the Mizuno family's castle." By 1875 (Meiji 8), when Utagawa Hiroshige III's Tokai Meisho Kaisei Dochuki (Famous Places of the Tokaido, Revised Travel Guide) came out, only the ruins of the castle were left. The National Diet Library titles the series Kaisei Gojusan Eki (The Fifty-three Stations, Revised).

The site of the main enclosure (honmaru) is now Chuo Park, where a stone marker reads "Numazu-jo Honmaru Ato" (Site of the Numazu Castle Main Enclosure).

Glossary