Poem by Empress Jitō

What you see

A grey path crosses the scene between green hills, with a stream in the foreground. On the left, two men carry a pole hung with white cloth; in the center, others carry baskets and bundles. Below, two people wash in the stream, and on the right a traveler in a wide hat wades across it. In the distance, beyond thatched houses, rises a hill with a red summit.

The blue-green of the hills dominates, with orange bands across the sky. Behind the houses, more white cloth hangs on wooden frames. Watch for the cartouche with the poem at upper right and the red bundle swinging from one man’s pole.