Travellers and Soliciting Women, Goyu, from the series the Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Hoeido edition)

The station at Goyu was famous for the women there who solicited the highway travelers, and this touting by women was also written about by Jippensha Ikku in his comic travel novel Tōkaidōchū Hizakurige (translated into English as Shank’s Mare). In the center of the highway the women are tugging from behind on a traveler’s luggage which hangs off his neck, while another traveler has been seized by the arm, and looks like he is being dragged toward the inn. The women have larger physiques than the travelers, and seem quite strong. In a circle on the wall of the dirt-floored room inside is the name “Take-no-uchi,” and on the signboards inside are “Artist: Ichiryusai,” “Printer: Heibei,” “Engraver: Jirobei” and “Tokaido Highway Series”—the names of the printing house, engraver, printer and artist who were involved in this work are inscribed.