Station #41: The name miya literally means "shrine" and is a shortened word denoting the Atsuta Shrine we see here. It is one of the most important shrines in the country because it holds one of the three divine symbols of the Japanese imperial throne - the sacred sword. The horse-driving festival shown in the print was held at Atsuta Shrine on June 21. Hiroshige shows two different teams, each in their happi coats with designs indicating the neighborhood association that sponsored them. Miya was the biggest station on the old Tokaido and now Nagoya city has grown around the shrine to become the third largest metropolis in Japan. Here in Miya there were two honjin for daimyo, several waki-honjin for retainers and about 250 other inns that catered to pilgrims going to Ise, the retainers traveling with daimyo to and from Edo and merchants. Lodging along the Tokaido was hierarchical, just like the class system enforced by the government.

Image Copyright: Minneapolis Institute of Art