The Tōkaidō (東海道 - literally, the 'Eastern Sea Road') was the main road of feudal Japan. It ran for roughly five hundred kilometers between the old imperial capital, Kyōto, where the Emperor still lived, and Edo (nowadays Tokiyo), home of the Shōgun as de facto military ruler.

More detailed information on the Tokaido is to be found in the chapter about Hiroshige's editions of the "53 Stations of the Tokaido" and a plethora of Tokaido series from other leading artists of these times.

As with all well-known woodblock artists of his time, there are also several editions of the cycle from the '53 Stations of the Tokaido' by HOKUSAI. Six editions contain a complete sequence of images of all 53 stations:

• 1801 Edition (Tôkaidô gojûsan tsugi ezukushi), unsigned, unknown publisher

• 1802 Edition (Tôkaidô gojûsan tsugi), unsigned, publisher is Iseya Rihei (Kinjudô); Station No. 27 (Kakegawa) with a kite

• 1804 Vertikal Edition  (Tôkaidô saishikizuri gojûsan tsugi), unsigned, unknown publisher

• 1804 Horizontal Edition (untitled series), signed 'Gakyôjin Hokusai ga', unknown publisher; this edition has four different print versions
• a 1804 version throughout with kyoka poems;
  
• a second version in 1804 without poems;
• a third version in 1805 in semi all blue; and
  
• a 1840's version  is similar, without the poems, and with a red or white background color title instead of the original yellow, and a new smaller format for all the large original prints of the series.

• 1806 Vertikal Edition (Tokaido gojusan tsugi), unsigned, publisher is Iseya Rihei (Kinjudô); Station No. 27 (Kakegawa) contains kites and the
  

• 1806 Horizontal Edition (untitled series), signed Hokusai-ga, unknown publisher

Kakegawa Station, 1802 Edition (Tôkaidô gojûsan tsugi)	Kakegawa Station, 1806 Vertikal Edition (Tokaido gojusan tsugi)