The 34th view of Utagawa Hiroshige’s “100 Famous Views of Edo” is Sumida River Suijin no Mori Massaki, and the original painting is here.
We have moved on from Yotsugi to the vicinity of the Suijin Bridge on the Tsutsumidori Street in Sumida Ward.
The flow of the Sumida River is probably not much different from the past, but the scenery is quite different. I also have to say the same thing to Hiroshige every time. Even if it wasn’t blocked by high-rise apartments, you would never be able to see Mt. Tsukuba from here.
The foreground of the original painting depicts beautiful cherry blossoms (not Someiyoshino, but rather the village cherry or double cherry variety), but unfortunately the current left bank is somewhat bleak, with the concrete revetment under the Metropolitan Expressway overhead.
However, in the Arakawa Ward Shioiri Park on the opposite bank (right bank), which was cut off from view in the photo above, the Yoko cherry trees were in full bloom, so I was looking at them thinking, “What a shame, it would make a great picture if I could bring even one over here.”
Since I had the chance, I went up close and took a picture.
The Tokyo Skytree is not that far away, but on this day it was hazily shrouded in yellow sand.
The people enjoying the flowers in their own way were from a variety of countries, and it seemed that they were enjoying and appreciating the cherry blossoms in different ways. I see, this is how people enjoy cherry blossoms in Tokyo these days.
The dark pink color of these cherry blossoms is so elegant.
I first learned about the Yoko cherry trees from a sign in the park, but it seems that there are many other varieties of cherry trees planted in this park. It seems that this is a spot where you can enjoy hanami (cherry blossom viewing) with a diverse range of flowers and people, rather than just the “sake party under the Someiyoshino cherry trees” style.
The location of this “100 Views” photo shoot
![広重名所江戸百景 望月義也コレクション [ 望月義也 ]](https://thumbnail.image.rakuten.co.jp/@0_mall/book/cabinet/0032/9784772610032.jpg?_ex=128x128)
