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Hokusai · Hiroshige

Edo sketching route: Nihonbashi and the bridge in the rain

Hokusai and Hiroshige: the Mitsui shop, Nihonbashi bridge and the shower over Shin-Ōhashi

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The Mitsui Shop in Edo, Katsushika Hokusai1 · The Mitsui Shop in EdoMorning View of Nihonbashi, Utagawa Hiroshige2 · Morning View of NihonbashiSudden Shower over Shin-Ōhashi Bridge, Utagawa Hiroshige3 · Sudden Shower over Shin-Ōhashi Bridge
The Mitsui Shop in Edo, Katsushika Hokusai, c. 1830
The Mitsui Shop in Edo
1

The Mitsui Shop in Edo

Katsushika Hokusai · c. 1830 · Surugachō (Nihonbashi), Tokyo

Roofers and a kite against Fuji: a street scene from Surugachō, the merchants’ street.

Try thisLook at how the shop front is built from repeated shapes. Draw one and repeat it.

Public domain · Source · More about this sketch

Morning View of Nihonbashi, Utagawa Hiroshige, c. 1833
Morning View of Nihonbashi
2

Morning View of Nihonbashi

Utagawa Hiroshige · c. 1833 · Nihonbashi Bridge, Tokyo

The start of the Tōkaidō: traders and a procession on the bridge from which Japan’s roads begin.

Try thisDraw the bridge as one long line first, then add the people crossing it.

CC0 · Source · More about this sketch

Sudden Shower over Shin-Ōhashi Bridge, Utagawa Hiroshige, 1857
Sudden Shower over Shin-Ōhashi Bridge
3

Sudden Shower over Shin-Ōhashi Bridge

Utagawa Hiroshige · 1857 · Shin-Ōhashi Bridge, Edo (Tokyo)

Passers-by hurry over the bridge in slanting rain: a sheet from “One Hundred Views of Edo”.

Try thisRain is easier to show than to draw: use short slanting lines and leave most of the page pale.

Public domain · Source · More about this sketch

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Edo route at a glance

StopWorkArtistDateCoordinates
1The Mitsui Shop in EdoKatsushika Hokusaic. 183035.6872, 139.7737
2Morning View of NihonbashiUtagawa Hiroshigec. 183335.6841, 139.7745
3Sudden Shower over Shin-Ōhashi BridgeUtagawa Hiroshige185735.6840, 139.7920

On the map of places: Tokyo (Edo), Japan. Artists on this route: Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige.

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Questions about the Edo route

Where does the Edo sketching route start and end?

It starts at “The Mitsui Shop in Edo” and ends at “Sudden Shower over Shin-Ōhashi Bridge”: 3 stops, about 1.9 km apart measured in straight lines. Streets and paths wind, so the real walk is longer, and you will want time to sit and draw at each stop.

Who drew the sketches on the Edo route?

The sketches are by Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige, made from 1830 to 1857. Each one is shown on the map at the place where it was drawn, with its source and licence.

Is there an app for following a sketching route?

Yes. SketchMap Atlas is a free app for Android and the web where every sketch is pinned to the place and date it was made. Open this route in SketchMap Atlas to see all 3 stops on a map, then add your own sketch next to them.

Can I build my own sketching route in SketchMap Atlas?

Yes. In SketchMap Atlas you pick two to ten sketches on the map, put them in order, name the route and share it as a link.

Do I need an account to follow the route?

No. You can open any SketchMap Atlas route and look at every sketch without signing up. You need an account only to publish your own work.

Updated 28 October 2026