Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige, Japanese, 1797¡V1858, Wisteria at Kameido Tenjin Shrine from the series One Hundred Famous Views of?Edo, Ukiyo-e: polychrome woodblock print, sheet: 13 7/16 ¡Ñ 8 3/4 in. (34.1 ¡Ñ 22.3?cm), In the 1660s, Kameido Tenjin was placed at the eastern bank of the Sumida River in order to protect a new urban expansion project from evil spirits. Here the shrine is merely suggested by one of the two bridges within the precincts that mark the path to the shrine. This particular bridge was one of two in Edo noted for their drum shape. Wisteria blossoms, for which the shrine was renowned, confirm the identification of this bridge with Kameido Tenjin. The bridge in wisteria season was one of the most popular locations for Edokko, or Edoites, to make seasonal visits. Later in the 1880s and 1890s these famous scenic spots depicted by Hiroshige were captured on film by Japanese photographers and sold as quaint images of old Japan. Wisteria in association with the Drum Bridge gave a concrete image of the celebration of the spring and the coming of an early summer. Making visits to famous places was considered great entertainment even among the commoners during the Edo?period. , Japan, Japanese, Edo period?(1615¡V1868), Works on Paper -?Prints