Evening Rain in the Yoshiwara

Two high-ranking courtesans look out from the upper floor of a pleasure house toward Sensōji Temple in Asakusa, its tiled roofs and pagoda visible in the background. On the opposite bank of the Sumida River stands the Mimeguri Inari Shrine, another local landmark. Likely commissioned by a Yoshiwara teahouse (chaya) as an advertisement, the painting features two young women employed there. In the foreground, a red lacquer tray displays a blue-and-white porcelain dish with sashimi and two small cups (choku), small serving dishes, and a celadon bowl of delicacies. A sake ewer and two celadon sake cups—cooling in water—complete the scene, evoking luxurious entertainments.