歌川広重　山櫻　浮世絵錦絵　江戸時代

Born into the Andō samurai family, Utagawa Hiroshige was educated in calligraphy, literature, painting, and poetry, all of which became important elements of his work. In this print, three Japanese white-eyes perch on a cherry branch while a bunting flies below. The haiku written vertically on the right reads, "Let’s break off a branch / to show off to people, / mountain cherries." In pre-Edo times, many courtiers wrote waka poems on the theme of cherry trees blooming in the mountains to share the beauty and enjoyment of seeing them with those who could not do so themselves. During the Edo period, however, Edo residents, nicknamed edokko, became known for their civic pride and competitive spirit, both with those living in Kyoto and with each other. Hiroshige’s poem highlights the desire of the edokko to flaunt such scenic cherry-blossom experiences to others.