Set of 3 large-size (37.2×25cm) colored woodblock prints
Artist: Chobunsai Eishi
Publisher: Nishimuraya Yohachi
Published in the late 18th century
Owned by the National Diet Library

This picture depicts beautiful women who are coming and going in front of the Sanmai-bashi bridges (“three bridges side by side”) in Ueno-hirokoji, Edo (present-day Tokyo).

Chobunsai Eishi (1756-1829) was born in a family of direct retainers of the shogunate. In his youth he attended Tokugawa Ieharu, the 10th shogun. Eishi studied painting with Kano Michinobu, a painter to the shogunate, and it is said that his art name “Eishi” was given to him by Ieharu. Eishi started painting ukiyo-e in the late 1780s, when he served as a retainer of the shogun. He resigned at the age of 34 in 1789, and concentrated on ukiyo-e till he died. He excelled at portraying beautiful women.

In this picture, cherry trees in the woods around Kan’eiji temple can be seen in the distance. Kan’eiji temple was well known as the best cherry blossom viewing spot in the city of Edo, and even now, many people visit it in the cherry-blossom season. In the foreground, we can see the three bridges side by side. These women in front of the bridges seem to be taking a stroll in clothes glowing with cherry flower patterns. In the lower left-hand corner of each print are the name of the artist “Eishi,” and the trademark of the publisher Nishimuraya Yohachi (Eijudo).

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