Maple Trees at Mama, Tekona Shrine and Linked Bridge, No. 94 from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo

Although Mama was over ten miles east of central Edo, the beauty of its autumn maples was so famous that it was worth the trip. In earlier times, its fame centered on a particular tree of great size. Though only the stump remained in Hiroshige's day, he may possibly be alluding to that tree in his use of a single large forked trunk to frame the view. He emphasizes the scenic beauty of Mama with the dominant leaves in the center foreground, their glorious orange color—produced with red lead or iron oxide— unfortunately blackened with age. Beyond the maples of Mama lie the shrine and bridge of the title, which were less important as sites to be visited than as places that for centuries had enjoyed a life of their own in Japanese literature.