What was Japan like in 1853, when this portrait was started by Utagawa Hiroshige with one print from each of the 69 provinces. It is an outstanding picture book from just before photography. Hiroshige travelled the Tokaido road to participate in an important procession in Kyoto in 1832 and published his 53 Stations of the Tokaido (Hoeido) which was the most popular print series ever made in Japan, see the authors ISBN ES 978-8-413-731-469. It was even more popular than Hokusais series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, which had been recently published and which had influenced Hiroshige tremendously ISBN ES 978-8-411-744-935. The Famous Views from the Sixty-Odd Provinces contains some of Hiroshiges most beloved prints and he again uses the horizontal format he pioneered for landscape prints.