At the time of the rendering of this scene Shirasuka was located very close to the ocean. Here, between the dip in two steep hills, Hiroshige depicts just the suggestion of a daimyo procession by only showing a long line of hats and one piece of luggage. As the travelers walked along they had a wonderful view of the rice fields and the Pacific Ocean in the distance.
Before the 1707 earthquake, there were 27 inns for travelers, making Shirasuka a mid-sized post station. After the resulting tsunami devastated the region, this post station was moved to its present location farther inland on a plateau.