1st Station: Shinagawa

Being the first station or rest stop on the highway, Shinagawa was thronged with travelers coming and going. The road was lined with many teahouses, restaurants and entertainment quarters. Here, Hiroshige depicts the end of a daimyo procession passing along a street with a vendor stall and houses backing up to the seashore. Many ships are moored in the bay either just having set anchor or perhaps getting ready to depart with passengers setting off on their journey or goods for trade to other locations.

Today the bay, seen here in Hiroshige's print, is reclaimed land and now forms a part of Tokyo.