17th Station: Okitsu

In this vignette, Hiroshige rather humorously depicts two sumo wrestlers being carried upstream, one on a packhorse and the other in a kago. The thin kago-bearers appear to be struggling under their heavy load. They walk near the mouth of the Okitsu River with a view of the sea in the background.

This flat region was, and still is, noted for its beautiful view of the pine grove, Miho no Matsubara, and is highlighted by the scenic seascape backdrop. At its peak there were approximately 1,668 people living in Okitsu.