View to the North From Asukayama, No. 17 in One Hundred Famous Views of Edo

Asukayama, Japan's first public park, was opened in 1737 as an act of piety by the shogun Yoshimune (1684–1751), who ordered the planting of hundreds of cherry trees there to create a pleasant place for popular outings. Into the distance extends a delicate green haze, spreading out to a gray-wash pattern of rice paddies and a blue line at the horizon suggesting the Tone River. Hovering above this all, streaked with thin bands of clouds, is the accentuated outline of Mount Tsukuba.