Nihonbashi, Clearing After Snow — Hiroshige Framed Woodblock Print

The story of this print

Nihonbashi was the centre of Edo and the zero point of every road in Japan, and Hiroshige opened One Hundred Famous Views of Edo with it. This sheet shows the bridge on the morning after a snowfall, from a high viewpoint that takes in the whole scene: the wooden span crowded with figures, the boats of the fish market moored along the canal below, warehouses and snow-covered roofs running away toward the castle, and Fuji white on the horizon under a pink dawn.

It is the most panoramic of the series’ vertical sheets, and a picture of a city rather than a monument — the fish market alone has a dozen small figures at work. The Library of Congress impression is early, with the blue of the canal and the pink of the sky graded by hand. Restored from the archive’s scan without redrawing.

Printed to order on archival matte paper or canvas, framed in the country of delivery.

Before and after

Left: the archive scan exactly as published. Right: the file that goes to the printer.

Nihonbashi Clearing After Snow, 1856: archive scan compared with the restored print

Archive scanRestored

Restoration notes

Restoration: trimmed the mount and scanner margins, balanced levels while keeping the paper tone and the flat colour blocks of the woodblock impression (85% of the original colour retained), removed dust and specks, applied gentle sharpening. Toning, wormholes, the printer's registration and the collector's seals are kept where they belong to the object; nothing is redrawn.

Every print carries its archive credit on the packing slip. Paper tone and small imperfections of the original are kept on purpose; nothing is redrawn.

Questions

What does the print show?

Nihonbashi, the bridge from which all distances in Japan were measured, seen from above on a morning after snow: the bridge crowded with figures, boats and the fish market along the canal, white roofs stretching away, the castle's towers, and Mount Fuji on the horizon.

Is this an original woodblock print?

No. It is a new archival print made from the Library of Congress's high-resolution scan of an original Edo-period impression in its Japanese prints collection. Original impressions of these designs sell at auction for thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars; we never sell originals, and the archive record with its rights statement is on this page.

Can this print be sold legally?

Yes. The artist died in the nineteenth century and the impression was published long before 1930, so the design is in the public domain in the United States, Japan and Europe. The Library of Congress states there are no known restrictions on publication.

Does it come framed?

Yes, if you choose a framed option: a black, white or natural oak wood frame, ready to hang, made in the country of delivery. Unframed archival matte paper and stretched canvas are also available. Sizes follow the print's own proportions — 12×18, 16×24, 20×30 and 24×36 for a standard oban sheet.

Colours vary between screens and paper. The tone you see here is a close match to the archival matte print; framed prints have no glass glare in these previews.

Pairs well with

Hang them together — 10% off the second framed print

Kinryuzan Temple at Asakusa, 1856

Utagawa Hiroshige · Library of Congress

$119 16×24 in framed · paper from $39

Suidobashi Surugadai Carp Streamers, 1857

Utagawa Hiroshige · Library of Congress

$119 16×24 in framed · paper from $39

The discount is applied automatically at checkout when two or more framed prints are in the cart.

Size	Metric	Best for
12×18 in	30×46 cm	Desk, shelf, small wall, gallery groupings
16×24 in	41×61 cm	Above a desk or console, hallway, bedroom
20×30 in	51×76 cm	Over a sofa or bed, statement wall, office
24×36 in	61×91 cm	Over a sofa or bed, statement wall, office

Nihonbashi, Clearing After Snow, 1856

Before and after

Restoration notes

Hang them together — 10% off the second framed print