Omiya Station with a Distant View of Mt. Fuji on the Kisokaidō

This is an Edo Period (1603-1868) multicolored woodblock print, called a nishiki-e, that depicts one of the 69 stations on the Nakasendō highway. This print is one in a series of 70 prints, depicting various stations along the Nakasendō (from the first station, Nihonbashi, to the final station, Ōtsu). The series was a joint project by Keisai Eisen and Utagawa Hiroshige, artists who were active in the later Edo Period. The Nakasendō was one of the most important routes of the Edo Period and was also called the Kisokaidō, hence the inclusion of Kisokaidō in the print's title. Omiya Station was located in what is now Saitama City (Saitama Prefecture) and was the fourth stop from Nihonbashi, the first Nakasendō station. This print depicts the surrounding scenery of Omiya Station rather than the station itself. On the right side, there are commoners carrying a palanquin in the direction of the next station and a traveler carrying luggage strapped to his back and wearing a bamboo hat. On the left, there is a farmer carrying a hoe and a child carrying a basket. As indicated in the title, there is a distant view of Mt. Fuji (now a World Heritage site) drawn between two blossoming cherry trees.