Comment - Ryogoku Hirokoji ( 両国広小路) is a plaza or small street located at the west end of Ryogoku Bridge over the Sumida River. No permanent buildings were built on the bridge as it was treated as a fire-removal site to protect traffic on the bridge. The scene shows a "kite" having snatched the cap of a pedestrian. The pedestrian tries to reach out in dismay for his cap in the claws of the disappearing bird with his 'prey'. While jumping up, the pedestrian lost his right geta. A lady opposit to the man covers herself with her kimono to shelter herself from the attacking bird. Four other surrounding passers-by watch the scene with astonishing smile.

A gas lantern is dominating the center of the print. A technical novelty at those times, thus an exemplary of this woodblock is also to be seen in nowadays Tokyo Gas Museum. Electrical overhead lines cross the scene,  just another technical novelty.

Several kites are roaming the sky. A dominating Edo kite ("edo tako", "江戸凧") with a popular variation of the Japanese flag is floating above the heads of the pedestrians. A reddish bokashi shading in the background behind the riverside hints at near sundown. The elaborate blue bokashi shading of the upper sky at the top of the print confirms this impression. The background shows four additional kites. Three of them being Edo kites or edo kaku kites. Right to the gas lantern pole is a yakko kite to be seen ("yakko dako", "奴凧"). The arrangement of the kites is similar to the arrangement on another woodblock print. Maybe the same kites, seen from a different location.

The series title is written in the vertical rectangular red cartouche upper right, the title of the print is written in the adjacent squared box in kanji (large)and hiragana (small) characters.


Series -  "Tōkyō's Funny Famous Places"  (Tōkyō kokkei meisho, 東京滑稽名所); compare "Chasing Feather and Face at Yanagibashi"  from the same series


Artist - see Biography


Signature -  "Hiroshige hitsu" ("広重筆") in red cassette at lower left;  yellowish carvers seal adjacent (Hori e Muneoka, 彫エ 宗岡)


Publisher - KOBAYASHI Tetsujiro Publishers (小林鉄次郎) left margin, including date and address as well as circular seal lower right


Image Size -   24.4 x 37.3 cm ( 9 4/7 x 14 6/9")


Condition - Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper, single sheet, Vertical ôban; Tate-e (portrait);