Comment - View of the Mitsui Bank building in the Suruga-cho in Tokiyo. Mount Fuji is rising majestically in the background. People are standing on the balconies of the bank building, a red striped white flage rises, and a blue Edo kite  ("Edo-tako", "江戸凧") with a white Kanji character that may be a name (Atari, 當) (Kanji kite, "ji tako", "字凧") is flowing in the wind, the kite pilot is hidden from view, standing somewhere in front of the building opposite to the bank. The background shows another Edo kite in red with white kanji, and a Yakko ("yakko dako", "奴凧") or man kite , both flown from behind the Mitsui bank. Dusk maybe arriving, with red clouds in the background, and a blue sky above, both with delicate bokashi shading.

Different kinds of Mitsui enterprises have been depicted in kite woodblock prints by Hokusai, Hiroshige-III (see above), and Kuniyoshi. Please refer to the "Keyword Glossary" in the addenda for "Mitsui Clan". The street scene of suruga-cho with the iconic bank building have been depicted several times in kite woodblock prints by Hiroshige-III (see above and else). An existing photo from Meiji 10 (1877) shows the street leading to the bank building.

The title and series title are in the vertical rectangular red cartouche upper right.


Series - "36 Views of Modern Tōkyō" ("Tōkyō sanjūrokkei kaika", "東京三十六景 開化"), Sato Matabe edition (佐藤又兵衛版)


Artist - see Biography


Signature - "Hiroshige hitsu" ("広重筆") in red cassette at lower right;


Publisher - Satō Matabe Publisher's (佐藤又兵衛版)


Image Size -   25.0 x 36.5 cm ( 9 27/32" x 14 3/8") + margins as shown)


Condition - Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper, single sheet, Vertical ôban; Tate-e (portrait);