 51 Minakuchi
A solitary traveller walking through the village, where women are peeling
and drying gourds; in the backgound a range of hills, printed in colour-block
only.
This station located in a desolate rural area was famous for its production
of dried gourd shavings for use on Japanese dishes. Women are busy making
them: one is shaving a gourd, one is helping the shavers, and one is drying
the shaved gourd on a rope.
 52
Ishibe
View of a tea-house on left, under a large tree, and travellers watching
a man dancing; hills in background from graded colour-block, the lower
part in mist.
This station was one of the most desolate stations on the highway. The
road-side restaurant offered travellers rice wine, rice boiled with leafy
vegetables, and baked bean-curd coated with bean paste.
 53
Kusatsu
View of a rest-house on for coolies, and horses on the road; coolies passing
in foreground with a kago and
a covered palanquin.
The Nakasendo, another large highway which ran through the mountainous
region between Edo and Kyoto joined the Tokaido at this station to form
a single highway for the remainder of the highway to Kyoto.
 54
Otsu
Three bullock-carts passing down the main street of the village, and an
open tea-house on the left.
This station located on the south-western shore of Lake Biwa was the last
station on the Tokaido Highway. Being close to Kyoto, there were many
popularly known shrines and temples in its vicinity.
 55
Kyoto
In the foreground the "long" bridge over the Kamo River, and
people crossing over, with the town beyond, behind which rise hills overlooking
it, the most distant printed from graded colourblock only.
While decending to Kyoto, travellers could enjoy a panoramic view of the
elegant imperial capital from the mountain pass and undoubtedly felt joy
and relief at seeing the final destination of their journey from Edo.
In those days it was the wish of every Japanese to see Kyoto once in his
life.
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