One Hundred Famous Views of Edo No.75Kanda Konya cho

The Kanda-cho area was located northeast of Edo castle. During the Edo period this area, combined with the Nihonbashi commercial centre to the south, formed the central part of downtown Edo. Dwellers were mainly commoners.
In the area was a district called Craftsmen’s Town where a variety of craftsmen assembled: people such as dyers, blacksmiths, carpenters and lacquerers. Each place where similar craftsmen assembled had its own name.
The section where the dyers gathered was called Konya-cho, meaning “dyers’ street”. They were mainly engaged in dyeing pieces of cotton which were ordered and supplied by the shogunate. Only when there was no order from the shogunate could the dyers comply with the order from common people. Hiroshige has chosen the street as a representative view of this district. In order to dry the pieces of cotton after being dyed, tall wooden frames were put up on the roofs of the houses. In this print, the colourful pieces of cotton are hanging from the top of the frames, fluttering in the wind.
Being shrewd, Hiroshige has designed the pattern of the cotton pieces to include one of his own crests and the Chinese character “uo”, the first character in his publisher’s name. The cotton pieces with these special designs can be seen in the centre foreground. These sorts of pieces are used to make towels and yukatas, informal kimonos worn in summertime.
Between the flapping pieces of cotton one can see Edo castle, the shogun’s residence, in a forest. Also, to the left, Mt. Fuji covered with snow can be seen.