Suijin Shrine and Massaki on the Sumida River (Sumidagawa Suijin no Mori Massaki), No. 35 from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo

The site depicted here is said to have been the original mouth of the Sumida, Edo's most important river, and the shrine at the lower right, across the river from the Massaki area, is dedicated to the river itself. Notwithstanding the restful beauty of the distant view, our attention is caught by the elaborate blossoms of the double-petaled cherry in the foreground. Such framing on the right, the side from which the Japanese eye tends to enter a composition, is relatively rare in this series and seems reserved for dramatic effect. It is appropriate for this type of flower, a baroque and fragrant late-blooming hybrid cherry rather out of keeping with normal Japanese taste.