Exploring Japanese Landmarks in Nishiki-e and Photographs

Shibaura

This is the name of a wide area from Shibaguchi (present day Shinbashi) on the Minato Ward side of Tokyo Bay south to Honshiba (present day Tamachi). This was a fishing spot that existed even before Tokugawa Ieyasu began his own closed off domain in the Kan Hasshu (Eight Provinces of Kanto) in 1590. Shellfish, eel, prawns, flounder, black sea bream and a variety of other seafood was caught here, and was charged with providing seafood to the Shogun family very early on, even compared to the other Osai Sakana Hachigaura (8 fishing areas which presented seafood to the Shogun family). In addition, although Nihonbashi was famous as a starting point for the Tokaido Highway, Honshiba was the starting point for 3 years until Nihonbashi was made the starting point in 1603.

Nishiki-e and Paintings

江戸近郊八景之内 芝浦晴嵐

芝浦晴嵐

江戸八景 芝浦の帰帆

芝浦の帰帆

名所江戸百景 芝うらの風景

芝うらの風景

The NDL Image Bank is a public-domain digital gallery of the National Diet Library, the national library in Japan. Our website has thousands of out-of-copyright Japanese artworks and images from our library’s extensive collection!

The NDL Gallery is online content that you can enjoy using the digitized materials of the National Diet Library. It also provides information on exhibitions in the National Diet Library.

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The NDL Digital Exhibitions features the NDL’s unique collections with explanations covering various themes such as nishiki-e, landscape photographs and historical materials. Discover your favorites!