One Hundred Famous Views of Edo No.71Scattering pine trees on the bank of the Tone River

Hiroshige has not specified the location depicted in this print, but the Tone River, which is mentioned in the title, flowed north to south in the easternmost part of Edo city.
In the foreground, water reeds are seen growing. These are probably in the middle of the river on a small island (otherwise known as a holm) formed by sand deposits, the particles having been carried down from the mouth of the river towards the estuary. In the vicinity were such villages as Urayasu and Gyotoku, both important salt-producing areas for Edo city. It was reported that according to old villagers, the pictured pine trees were similar in appearance to pine trees found on the bank of the Tone River. This information gives us a little more of an idea of where this point is. Being located almost at the mouth of the river and also near a salt-producing area, the river was always crowded with boats transporting goods to and from the district.
Fishermen cast their nets from the sands or from boats, and Hiroshige has captured a scene where a net is being cast, spreading out over the water. In this print, the circular net spread in the air constitutes a considerable part of the foreground. Through the meshes one can envisage a more distant view. On the bank of the river several pine trees can be seen, having grown sporadically over the years, and Hiroshige named them “barabara no matsu”, meaning scattering pine trees.
In the air two white egrets are flying. Egrets were popular birds observed on marshes, lakes and rivers.
Note: The Tone River flowing through this area is alternatively called the Old Tone River.