Utagawa Hiroshige and Large Painted Curtains at the Doso-jin (Travelers’ Guardian Deity) Festival

Kofu-jo Castle town bustled with people during the Dosojin Deities (Travelers’ Guardian Deity) Festival, the largest festival in the region, which took place over three days from January 13 to 15 every year in the Edo Period (1603-1868). During the festival, large painted curtains called maku-e were hung at the entrance of merchant shops in Yanagimachi area, Yokamachi area, Renjakumachi area, Uomachi area, and Midorimachi area (present-day Wakamatsu Town) in the area from present-day Chuo 2-chome to 5-chome. These added a splendid atmosphere to the area during the festival.
After the Meiji Government prohibited the Doso-jin Festival in 1872, most of the painted curtains were discarded or lost. Only a few remain today. One of these is Toto Meisho Meguro Fudo-no-taki (Famous Places of the Eastern Capital; Immovable Falls in Meguro) by the first-generation Utagawa Hiroshige.
Utagawa Hiroshige is thought to have painted 11 to 12 curtains; however, only one remains today. It was painted in 1841 and designated a cultural property of Yamanashi Prefecture.
Hiroshige wrote about the trip to visit Kofu Region to paint for the Doso-jin Festival in the Records of Koshu. After arriving in Kofu, Hiroshige stayed in the old Midorimachi to paint. He enjoyed sake and watched plays daily during his stay.

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