Station #19: West of Fuchu Station, travelers crossed the Abe River. It was the custom for rich people to ride in kago, a basket with a seat suspended from a pole and carried by two men. However, ordinary people rode piggy-back across the rivers or on the platform that we see to the right. The three travelers in the middle are probably the daughter of a samurai, her two maids and behind them a servent in a hapi coat (a type of uniform). There was a major incentive for the river porters to protect their customers. If a customer died because of his negligence, the porter was executed.

Image Copyright: Minneapolis Institute of Art