Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō － Sudden Shower at Shōno

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) is one of Japan's most famous Ukiyo-e artists. Hiroshige's ukiyo-e had a major influence not only in Japan but also on Van Gogh and Monet as they crossed the ocean to the West. The 53 Stages of the Tokaido were established by the Edo Shogunate and consisted of 53 inns along the Tokaido Highway from Nihonbashi to Sanjo Ohashi in Kyoto. During the Edo period, many famous paintings were produced depicting the 53 inns. The most famous of these is Hiroshige's Hoeido version of the 53 Stations of the Tokaido Highway, published between 1834 and 1836.