53rd Station: Otsu

This last station of the Tokaido appears to be as busy as the previous one. Three ox carts are line up along the main street of the village, with a busy open teahouse on the left. A man washes at the fountain on the left as a child approaches: a traveler browses merchandise at a vendor’s stand in the teahouse.

Otsu was located on the southwestern shore of Lake Biwa and besides being the last of the 53 stations of the Tokaido it was also the last of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendo Road.  It was a rather large post town, with approximately 350 homes and 71 inns for travelers. Being close to Kyoto, there were also many popular shrines and temples in its vicinity.

Interestingly, a type of Japanese folk painting produced during the Edo period named otsu-e, was sold in and around this post town. Vendor stands were set up along this portion of the Tokaido where these paintings were sold as souvenirs to passing travelers. Since they were created by anonymous artists, the paintings were sold in great numbers for little money. Themes ranged from good luck to happiness and prosperity. The paintings were frivolous, light-hearted and disarming, providing an amusing blend of auspicious symbols and social commentary.