One Hundred Famous Views of Edo No.68Fukagawa Hachiman Shrine and the opening of the mountain

Fukagawa Hachiman Shrine, which is not shown in this print, was built at Fukagawa, east of the Sumida river in the southeastern part of Edo city, by a Buddhist priest from Kyoto in 1627. Next to it stood Eitaiji Temple, and the shrine was considered to guard the temple until the end of the Edo period, when they were separated by order of the new government.
The temple, a branch of the famous Ninna Temple in Kyoto, had many sub-temples and was considered one of the largest in Edo city. The temple grounds were as large as 200,000 m2 and a garden pond, various trees and even a miniature Mt. Fuji were to be found within its boundaries.
The garden offered such splendid scenery that a great number of people wished to visit and enjoy the view. Complying with the wishes of the people, the temple decided to open the gardens to the public each year from March 21st to April 15th.
This period was popularly called Yamabiraki, the word being borrowed from the one which referred to the opening of mountain’s climbing season. As the anniversary of the death of Kukai, the most popular Buddhist priest among people all over Japan, fell on the March 21st, a memorial service for him was held at the temple on the first day of Yamabiraki.
The print shows a magnificent view of the garden and several groups of visitors enjoying the surroundings. The pond is spanned by bridges at various points so visitors may have a better view of the garden. Two kinds of cherry trees, a wild one and a weeping variety, are now in full bloom. The miniature Mt. Fuji stands at the opposite side of the pond. A zigzag path is laid out on its slope and several people can be observed on its crest.