On New Year's Eve, foxes gather beneath the old enoki, the changing tree, at Ōji, each breathing a pale fox-fire into the dark. The scene comes from Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858) and his series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, with this design dated 1857. Folklore held that the foxes assembled here to dress in court robes before visiting the nearby Ōji Inari shrine, and that farmers counted the fires to read the coming harvest.
The print is a colour woodblock, drawn from several carved blocks and printed in register onto paper. Hiroshige sets the foxes against a deep blue night, with the small flames scattered like lanterns across the field. A graded wash called bokashi deepens the sky, so the dark feels soft rather than flat, and the lights seem to float within it.
On a wall the image is quiet and atmospheric. The night-blue ground and the scattered points of light give a room a still, slightly magical note, an image that rewards a second look. It suits a bedro . . . Read More >>
On New Year's Eve, foxes gather beneath the old enoki, the changing tree, at Ōji, each breathing a pale fox-fire into the dark. The scene comes from Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858) and his series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, with this design dated 1857. Folklore held that the foxes assembled here to dress in court robes before visiting the nearby Ōji Inari shrine, and that farmers counted the fires to read the coming harvest.
The print is a colour woodblock, drawn from several carved blocks and printed in register onto paper. Hiroshige sets the foxes against a deep blue night, with the small flames scattered like lanterns across the field. A graded wash called bokashi deepens the sky, so the dark feels soft rather than flat, and the lights seem to float within it.
On a wall the image is quiet and atmospheric. The night-blue ground and the scattered points of light give a room a still, slightly magical note, an image that rewards a second look. It suits a bedroom, a study, or a calm corner kept for something with mood.
Each print is made to order on thick, smooth fine art paper, or framed behind shatter-resistant acrylic, or as a satin-coated cotton canvas. Choose the format that suits your wall.
Frequently asked questions
What is happening in this Hiroshige print?
On New Year's Eve, foxes gather beneath the old changing tree at Ōji, each breathing a kitsunebi, or fox-fire.
Which series is this from?
Hiroshige's One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo Hyakkei), with this design dated 1857.
What is the folklore behind the fox-fires?
Foxes were said to assemble here to don court dress before visiting the Ōji Inari shrine; farmers read the number of fires to foretell the harvest.
Where does this night scene suit at home?
Its deep blue ground and scattered lights suit a bedroom, a study, or a quiet, atmospheric corner.
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Japan historical period: Edo 江戸 (1603-1868)
Check out other artwork of Utagawa Hiroshige
