View of the Shnobazunoike Pond, Edo

Shinobazunoike is a pond in Ueno park, Tokyo. At its center lies Benten island with a temple "Bentendo" dedicated to goddess Saraswati. This view can be seen north from the southern shore of this pond, and it had been kept almost same since the Edo period. While many artists drew this pond in their paintings or Ukiyoe prints, this print by Shiba Kōkan is the first etching print depicting it. Kōkan succeeded making the first etching prints in Japan in 1783. Afterwards he drew various views in Edo as etching prints including this one. Most of this series of cityscape prints were printed as "megane-e", left and right reversed images, so as to be appreciated through an optical instrument composed of a mirror and a lens.