Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌川国芳 (1797–1861)
Erotic Connections with Distant Lands
(Shunshoku chisato no chigiri), vol. 2 of 3
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868), c. 1840s–1860s
Woodblock-printed book; ink and color on paper
Purchase, Richard Lane Collection, 2003
(2008.0434)

Kintai Bridge at Iwakuni in Suō Province was featured in a print from the series One Hundred Famous Views in the Various Provinces (Shokoku meisho hyakkei) designed by Utagawa Hiroshige II (1826–1869). The bridge is actually a series of five short, wooden arches supported by stone pillars evenly spaced across the Nishiki River. In this erotic parody of a travel guidebook, Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861) depicts Kintai Bridge in a fan-shaped frame in the upper left corner. Below that, a playful couple attempt to contort their bodies and replicate the bridge’s distinctive architecture.

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