One Hundred Famous Views of Edo No.77Teppozu, Inari Bridge and Minato Shrine

The waters of the Sumida River, the largest river flowing through Edo city, carried many dirt and sand particles, and a heavy concentration of them were deposited onto a piece of land at the mouth of the river. Over the years a sandbar built up, growing to an overall length of 870 metres. During the Kanei period (1624-44) the sandbar was used as a target ground for the test-firing of cannons by retainers of feudal lords specializing in artillery, and hence the sandbar was named Teppozu, literally “cannon sandbar”. In later years, land west of the sandbar was reclaimed and became residential quarters for both feudal lords and commoners. The test-firing ground was ordered to be relocated to a shore in Kamakura, some 45 kilometres southwest of Edo, because the ground was too close to Edo castle, the residence of the Tokugawa shogun.
At the mouth of the Kyobashi River, flowing into the Sumida estuary and running at right angles to Teppozu, stood Minato Shrine, which was surrounded by a red fence. It is depicted on the left of this print and enshrined Inari, the god of the harvest. Being located on the waterfront, the shrine was exposed to the sometimes crashing waves of Edo Bay, despite some protection from the fence. However, it was able to weather the elements remarkably and showed no sign of wear. Due to this, many seafarers believed that the shrine had the power to protect them from large waves and the elements. Thus, it attracted a countless number of seafarers.
The bridge spanning the Kyobashi River, pictured going from the front of the shrine to the opposite shore, was called Inari Bridge. The river originates from the moat surrounding Edo castle, and thus at the far end is seen the castle dominating the city. All goods shipped by big boats from all over Japan to Edo were unloaded here, and they were then transshipped in smaller boats for delivery to various parts of city.
In the foreground, two sailboats are moored in Edo Bay with their sails lowered and masts bare. Only their masts are depicted here. Mt. Fuji covered with snow is seen in the distance.