Throughout the Edo period (1615-1868), the T?kaid? was the most vital road in a network of highways across Japan. Connecting Edo (modern-day Tokyo) and Kyoto, the road and its 53 rest stations become a popular theme for sets of woodblock prints. The T?kaid? goj?san tsui (Fifty-Three Pairings along the T?kaid? Road) created in 1845, is one of the most fascinating of these series. Japan's three leading print designers of the nineteenth century - Kuniyoshi, Hiroshige, and Kunisada - paired easch T?kaid? rest station with an intriguing, cryptic design. Crafted to outwit the artistic restrictions imposed by the Temp?-era reforms, which outlawed prints of celebrity actors, courtesans, and entertainers, these woodcuts became popular visual puzzles that were frequently reprinted. This series was the first to involve more than one artist and used a variety of motifs, including stoies from the kabuki theater, poetry, famous tales, legends, landmarks, and local specialties. Presents the complete