The 57th view of Utagawa Hiroshige’s “100 Famous Views of Edo” is Irises in Hori-kiri. here is the original picture.
When you think of irises in Hori-kiri, you can’t go wrong with the Hori-kiri Iris Garden. The garden is now located a short distance from the banks of the river, so I searched for a spot where I could photograph irises along the riverbank. I found a beautifully cultivated iris field in a corner of the Hori-kiri Waterfront Park, which faces the Arakawa River.
Since it’s a vertical composition, I tried to include the Tokyo Skytree on the opposite shore in the background. I might have blurred it a bit too much. But if I narrow the aperture, not only the Skytree but also the cluttered scenery on this side of the shore becomes visible, so it’s tricky.
Even with the same aperture, this composition might convey the atmosphere of the opposite shore of the river a bit better.
Since I’ve come all the way to Horikiri at this time of year when the irises are beginning to bloom, it would be a shame not to stop by the Hori-kiri Iris Garden on my way back. I’ll write about that next time.
By the way,
while flipping through the book I use as a guide for my “100 Famous Views of Edo” walking tour (introduced below), I noticed that the next scene after the 57th view is the 58th view, “Kameido Tenjin Shrine Precincts.” Here’s the picture.
Huh? Kameido Tenjin? I just went there the other day. And I recognize this drum bridge!
I took photos of the drum bridge through the wisteria flowers, using slightly different compositions, and came back feeling very pleased with myself. I even posted them on my blog.
Visiting the “100 Views” location without realizing it and missing the perfect season to take photos—that’s me. Should I call a time machine to summon a guitar-wielding samurai to cut me down? What a shame!
This time’s “100 Views” shooting location
![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)
