One Hundred Famous Views of Edo No.112Yabu alley at the foot of Mount Atago

The hillside with tall trees in the centre of this print is a part of Mt. Atago (see No. 21). At its eastern foot flows a small stream, the Sakura River, which originated from a nearby moat located to the north. Along the river runs a broad street called Atagoshita Hirokojia which is lined with daimyo’s (lord’s) mansions. On the right-hand side of the street beyond the mansions was a row of temples.
Above the river is seen a guardhouse which was established not only to protect the lord’s mansion behind it but also to maintain law and order in Edo city. Guardhouses could be found on corners of various streets in Edo city.
“Yabu” means a bamboo grove in Japanese. A lord named Kato Ecchunokami planted bamboo at the northeastern corner of his mansion, a direction believed to be unlucky” or “a location believed to be unlucky, with the aim of protecting his property from any ill omens. The bamboo later grew into a grove, and it became so conspicuous that the alley running along the north side of it was popularly known as Yabukoji (as Hirokoji above). In this print, Hiroshige has drawn leaves and shoots of bamboo heavily laden with snow, but he has not shown the alley.
In order to portray snow falling, he depicts many white flakes in the sky, on the walls of houses and in the stream.
Snow lays thickly along the street and passersby walk slowly and carefully. Snow also covers the umbrellas, sedge hats and coats worn by the people.
Three sparrows are hovering about in the air with their heads turned downward to seek food on the snow-covered land.