Night View of Saruwaka-machi (Saruwaka-machi yoru no kei), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

In this image the glow of the full moon, with just a wisp of cloud diminishing its luminosity, bathes the theater district of Edo. The teahouses (on the left) are closing for the night, and men from the shops are guiding customers to the south gate in the distance. The three prominent Kabuki theaters of the day Nakamura-za, Ichimura-za, and Morita-za—are visible on the right, although all are shuttered. It is probably late August, just before the first plays of the season open. The crowd is thin, allowing us to clearly see the shadows cast by patrons, porters, geisha, vendors, and others in the street.

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