Tokaido Road - Mariko (after Hiroshige)

Tokaido Road: Mariko (after Hiroshige) is a reworking of
Hiroshige’s print of station 21: Mariko and pays homage to Chojiya,an old and famous Tororojiru (yam soup) restaurant located on the Old Tokaido Road, where it has been serving travellers this local specialty for centuries. The present-day owner can be seen entertaining two patrons, amidst the gentle tranquility of the farming landscape of Mariko today. Matsuo Bashō, the famous Japanese haiku poet (1644-94), praised the scenery and the broth in one of his haiku poems, the words of which can be seen inscribed on the roadside monument to the left of the picture: Mariko Juku has grated yam soup at the time of Plum Blossoms and Fresh Herbs.