One Hundred Famous Views of Edo No.56Mannenbashi Bridge at Fukagawa

The Onagi River flowed from east to west through the Fukagawa district. At the western end of the river and just before it joined with the Sumida River was Mannenbashi, meaning “ten thousand years’ bridge”. The bridge was built high so that even tall boats could travel easily under it. In this print, only a bridge railing is depicted, and from the handle of a traditional wooden pail placed on the bridge hangs a live tortoise by a rope. According to a Japanese saying, a tortoise can live ten thousand years and a crane one thousand. Hiroshige has probably depicted the tortoise here as a play on the name of the bridge.
A Buddhist ritual which was very popular among the common people of the Edo period was to allow captured living things, such as fish, birds and tortoises, to go free and let them return to nature. This ritual took place at temples and shrines on August 15th, and it was believed that anyone who performed such merciful acts was able to stay in paradise after their death. To meet the demands of the ritual, vendors sold these animals around ponds and along riversides in Edo city. Probably the tortoise Hiroshige has depicted was one for sale.
The river sketched in this print is the Sumida, which was a major route for conveying the daily necessities of Edo citizens. Several boats laden with heavy goods are seen on the river. Across the river, the centre and the busiest part of the city can be faintly seen. Beyond the city and in the distance are mountain ranges and Mt. Fuji still with a little snow on its peak.
To the north of the bridge was a historic spot associated with Basho, the most famous haiku poet. He lived in a hermitage called Bashoan built there in the late 17th century.