The Sakawa River, Odawara, from the series the Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Hoeido edition)

Flowing in front of the Odawara station, the Sakawa River was crossed during the winter season by a temporary bridge, but when the water rose from Spring to Summer, passengers and cargo were ferried across the river by porters on foot. Various means of crossing the Sakawa River are depicted: some are riding on the porters’ shoulders, some are on flatboats, and some are in medium to large-sized palanquins supported by a dozen or so porters.