One Hundred Famous Views of Edo No.42Cherry blossoms on the bank of the Tamagawa service water channel

During the Edo period, when someone said that they were going to see the “flowers”, they were always referring to cherry blossoms. This print shows people who have come to enjoy the splendid view of the blossoms on the bank of the Tamagawa water channel.
The back of the entertainment quarters at Naito Shinjuku station, located on the Koshukaido Highway, are on the right. The water running behind the quarters was used to supply the city, including Edo castle. It was drawn from the Tama River and flowed as long as 43km from Hanemura village. Accordingly, the channel was named Tamagawa service water channel. Behind the fence along the left side of the road is a mansion for the feudal lord Naito.
Two kinds of cherry trees were planted on both sides of the pathway beside the channel. One kind had light pink petals and the other had white. When the blossoms were at their best, this neighbourhood afforded magnificent scenery.
Edo people loved to go to places where cherry blossoms could be observed, and this was one of the more popular spots for viewing. A large crowd of people in rather decent and neat clothes are walking under the cherry trees.
The visitors to the quarters that cater to homosexuals are also looking at the cherry trees from the window, suspending their fun with the geisha or, perhaps, prostitutes.