Ushimachi, Takanawa, No. 81 from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo

This view depicts the fringe of Edo, ragged and unkempt, just outside of the Takanawa Gate, which marked the formal southern entrance to the city. Cast-off objects litter the road, adding a poetic touch. The watermelon rinds provide a sense of the summer season, while the discarded straw sandal evokes a long journey that has finally ended here, at the gateway to Edo. The huge section of an oxcart to the right marks the place as Ushimachi, or "Oxtown," the popular name for Shiba Kuruma-chō, which lay on both sides of the Takanawa Gate.