Hiroshige Ando’s Sanno Festival Procession at Kojimachi I-chome is a woodblock print created in 1857 in the Ukiyo-e style. This print is part of the series “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei).” The festival procession depicted entered Edo Castle from the Kojimachi quarter at the center of Tokyo city. The procession comprised over 50 lavish floats funded by its members.
The Sanno Festival Procession celebrated Japan’s largest and most important Shinto festival, held once every two years, during which the Shinto shrine was rebuilt. People dressed in traditional costumes carrying portable shrines marched to Edo Castle along with various decorative floats. This festive event was not only religious but also an occasion for people to show off their wealth and status through hiring artisans to make elaborate floats.
The subject depicted in Ando’s print is one such float, Odenma-cho, towering over the procession nearby. With mica embellishments and sharp woodgrain details, Ando used his mastery of lithography to capture this intricate float accurately. Today, this 14.5 x 10 inches woodblock print can be found at Asian Art department collections worldwide for art enthusiasts who want to marvel at Hiroshige Ando’s exceptional talent and craftsmanship that captured Japan’s culture and history precisely through his art.
