The Bitter End

Art of the Edo Period

The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido

2. Kawasaki-juku (Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki)

Kawasaki-juku

Kawasaki-juku was the second of the fifty-three stations of the Tokaido. It is located in Kawasaki-ku in the present-day city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

History

Kawasaki-juku was established as a post station in 1623, by the local magistrate Hasegawa Nagatsuna. It was the last post station to be built along the Tokaido. It was located near Heiken-ji, a famous Buddhist temple, so it was often used by travelers coming to pray.

The classic ukiyoe print by Ando Hiroshige (Hoeido edition) from 1831-1834 depicts travelers in a ferry-boat crossing the Tama River, and passengers waiting on the further bank. Mount Fuji is depicted in the far distance.