Utagawa Sadahide. The French Enjoy the View from Atago Hill, from the series Foreign Sightseers at Famous Spots in Edo (Tōto Meishō Kenbutsu Ijin) / Yokohama-e, 1861.

Artist: Utagawa Sadahide [歌川 貞秀] (Japanese, 1807 – c. 1878/9)
Signed: 五雲亭貞秀画 (Gountei Sadahide ga) – lower right, under the date-aratame seal
Publisher: Yamaguchiya Tōbei [山口屋 藤兵衛] (Japanese, c. 1805–1895)
Publisher’s Seal: 卜山口 (To Yamaguchi) – bottom left, rectangular
Block Carver: Yokokawa Iwajirō [横川岩次郎] (Japanese, fl. 1835–1863)
Carver’s Seal: 横川彫岩 (Yokokawa hori Iwa) – vertical green cartouche, bottom right
Series Title: 東都名所見物異人 (Tōto meishō kenbutsu ijin) – Foreign Sightseers at Famous Spots in Edo — vertical pink cartouche, top right
Print title: 愛宕山眺望 (Atagoyama chōbō) – View from Atago Hill — red vertical cartouche, top right
Country designation: ふらんす (Furansu) – France — pink vertical cartouche, bottom right, in hiragana
Date–Aratame Seal: 文久元年 七月 (Bunkyū 1, 7th month) – July 1861
Media: Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper; vertical ōban, 370 × 252 mm
Genre: Yokohama-e (横浜絵)

A Western couple is shown enjoying a panoramic view from atop Atago Hill in Edo (modern-day Tokyo). The bearded man, seen from behind, wears a long brown overcoat and red cap, and holds a walking stick. His companion, seated beside him, wears a wide blue-patterned skirt, a red blouse, a green scarf, and a bonnet with a black veil. She gestures expressively, as if commenting on the landscape.

In the distance, small red cartouches label notable locations across Edo. From left to right:

• 浅草寺 (Sensō-ji) – the famous Buddhist temple in Asakusa.

• 西本願寺 (Nishi Hongan-ji) – the Western Honganji branch temple.

• 築地 (Tsukiji) – a waterfront district known for temples and later the fish market.

• 鉄炮洲 (Teppōzu) – a riverside area noted for shrines and scenic views.

A third figure, possibly a guide or observer, peers up from below the hill path at lower right, dressed in green. A gnarled tree frames the top of the composition, emphasizing the elevated vantage point.

This print belongs to Sadahide’s series Foreign Sightseers at Famous Spots in Edo (東都名所見物異人), which imagined foreigners encountering iconic locations around the city. The vertical red cartouche at lower right spells “France” (ふらんす) in hiragana, identifying the couple’s presumed nationality.

The composition blends curiosity and caricature, typical of Yokohama-e: prints that portrayed foreigners with theatrical stylization and selective detail, reflecting both fascination and unfamiliarity during Japan’s early years of international exchange.

Very good quality print.

Reference: [LIB-1733.2019] Kanagawa Prefectural Museum (ed.). Shūtai-sei Yokohama Ukiyoe (集大成 横浜浮世絵). — Yokohama: Yūrindō, 1979; p. 247.