1860

Pictorial Guide to the Harbor of Yokohama near Kanagawa

Japanese, c. 1807 - 1873

Located across the bay from Kanagawa, Yokohama was bounded on the north by the sea (the foreground area of this print), on the south by an extensive swamp, on the east by an estuary, and on the west by a tidal creek. A broad, shallow canal cut through the swamp at the rear of the settlement, uniting the creek and the estuary and creating a kind of island-one could enter or exit Yokohama only by way of gated bridges. The plan of the city and its surroundings provided Japanese officials with a means of monitoring movement to and from Yokohama.