Yoshitora: Picture of a Steam Train in Tokyo 東京蒸気車

Artist: Utagawa YoshitoraTitle: Picture of a Steam Train in Tokyo 東京蒸気車Date: 1871 The drama that we see 150 years later is different than the excitement experienced by the original viewers in 1871; what we see are two trains on a collision course as they share a single track and are traveling towards each other at speed. What viewers of the time saw was a modern amazement; in the foreground is a steam train pulling a carriage that features large glass windows where we can see the occupants enjoying the novelty of the trip. Pedestrians on the bridge above the tracks are marveling at the new form of transportation as the engine belches its huge clouds of grey smoke. In the background we see the old-fashioned road-bound travelers who are being transported mostly on rickshaws that are pulled by rather overworked-looking men. There is one group of foreigners, probably Americans, who ride a horse-drawn carriage. It is clear that the artist used largely his imagination and perhaps western ill