Comment - Image of travelers at New Year's, with the snow-capped peak of Mount Fuji rising majestically in the distance. A traditional holiday decoration of pines and bamboo frames the scene at left, with an unusual Edo kite ("Edo-tako", "江戸凧") propped against the pines of the wooden container. The character on the kanji kite ("Kanji kite", "ji tako", "字凧") means "wealth" or "prosperity" " 富". The character may be read as "Tomi" or "Fu". With Mount Fuji ("富士山", "Fu"-Ji-san) in the background, the Kanji character is an allusion to Mount Fuji. Some of the men carry heavy wooden chests, while the bald man at right leans forward holding a red lacquer tray. The stick with the circle belongs to a man guiding and performing monkeys. A lively scene at E-Katsu station of Mount Fuji.

This woodblock print is a spin off of the uncolored Manga "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji" ("富嶽百景 初編", "Fugaku Hyakkei shohen") volume 1/3, page 21. The original Japanese title for this woodblock is "E-Katsu station at Mount Fuji" ("え且の不二",  "e katsu no fuji").


Series - "100 Views of Mt.Fuji" ("富嶽百景", "Fugaku Hyakkei")


Artist - see Biography


Signature -  HOKUSAI ga ("北斎画", "drawn by HOKUSAI")


Publisher - unknown publisher Yama"Hō" (山"保") from seal; Reprint, maybe late Meiji or Taisho Era


Image Size -  27.9 x  20.3 cm    (11 1/8" x 8 1/4") + margins as shown)


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