29. Hamamatsu


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29. Hamamatsu from Tokaido Gojusantsugi by Hiroshige

Station #29: In the background is Hamamatsu Castle. The daimyo, a high-ranking samurai and governor of this province, was responsible for the upkeep of the highway. But the work was done by the local farmers, here taking a break by a small bonfire. These farmers are working in the winter when they could be spared from their rice fields. Each village had to provide a certain number of men for a set number of days to do duty on the roads, cleaning ditches, clearing debris, repairing retaining walls and regrading the road. To the right is a young girl, probably babysitting a younger sibling.

Image Copyright: Minneapolis Institute of Art

 

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