Inari Bridge and Minato Shrine, Teppozu, No. 77 from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo

This particular place near Minato Shrine (half-hidden behind the red fence) was a critical junction in the waterways of Edo. It marked the point where large ships from western Japan were anchored and their cargoes transferred into small lighters, or flat-bottomed barges, for distribution to the many storehouses that lined the city's canals. Hiroshige detailed the masts of two cargo ships in the foreground to frame the background view of lighters heading into the canal beyond Imari Bridge. This system, dictated by the shallow waters of Edo Bay, meant that there were none of the piers that are commonly used in Western cities for unloading large ships.