One Hundred Famous Views of Edo No.21Mount Atago at Shiba

Mt. Atago, though only 26 metres above sea level, was a hill that stood conspicuously in a rather flat downtown Edo city. The hilltop commanded the most magnificent view out over the city and a peninsula which embraced Edo Bay to the southeast.
On the hillside was a flight of 87 stone steps which led to a shrine at the top. According to a popular story, a master of horse riding, showing his skill, climbed this long flight on horseback at an astonishing speed.
Before the Meiji Restoration, a mixture of Shintoism and Buddhism was common, and usually both buildings of worship stood next to each other. This hill was unexceptional in that it was clustered with a shrine and temples. Atago Shrine atop the hill enshrined Bishamonten, the god of war and the guardian of Buddhism.
On the third day of New Year, a ceremony took place at a temple at the foot of the hill where a messenger (Bishamon no tsukai) sent by the shrine forced monks assembled at the temple to eat steamed glutinous rice. Interestingly, in addition to a formal ceremonial dress, what the messenger wore and carried was related to special foods served at New Year: a bamboo helmet decorated with New Year’s ornaments, such as bitter orange and citron; a long wooden pestle in one hand in place of a sword; and a rice scoop in the other hand in place of a spear. He would call on the temple with his three attendants and try to force other monks to eat the rice contained in a big bowl. Upon hearing affirmative answers from them, the errand was completed and he would return to the shrine. Thus the ceremony would end.
Hiroshige’s drawing depicts the messenger standing in front of the shrine reporting the end of the ceremony.
Below the hill, one can see the thriving city and a wide expanse of Edo Bay with white sailboats floating on the water. On the left of the bay lies Boso Peninsula. The kite-flying is a symbolic feature of the New Year.