Goyu: Women Soliciting Travellers - Utagawa Hiroshige

A humorous woodblock print from Hiroshige's Tōkaidō series depicting inn servants in Goyu attempting to pull travellers into their lodgings at dusk.

This woodblock print depicts the station of Goyu, the thirty-fifth stop on the Tōkaidō road connecting Edo and Kyoto. Hiroshige focuses on a humorous genre scene rather than a purely naturalistic view. The composition centres on the aggressive tactics of the meshimori-onna, or inn servants, who attempt to drag weary travellers into their establishments for the night. The station of Goyu was located in present-day Aichi Prefecture. In this scene, Hiroshige provides a glimpse into the competitive nature of the hospitality industry during the Edo period. The women depicted are meshimori-onna, who worked as both waitresses and providers of other services at the lower-class inns. Their physical struggle with the travellers is a common theme in comic literature of the time, such as the Shank's Mare (Tōkaidōchū Hizakurige). The architectural elements create a strong diagonal line from the top left. This structure opens to reveal the interior of an inn where a guest is already settling in and washing his feet. Outside, the figures are caught in a tug-of-war. One traveller is pulled by his arms and luggage by two women, while another man walks past with a stoic expression. The use of bokashi (colour gradation) in the sky suggests the onset of evening, a time when competition between inns was most fierce. Hiroshige used a limited palette of indigo and earth tones to define the forms. The large circular sign hanging from the eaves identifies the establishment. Such signs were essential for attracting customers in the crowded station towns. The calligraphy on the right side of the print provides the series title and the station name, alongside the artist's signature. This print is an example of how ukiyo-e artists documented the social customs and daily lives of ordinary people. It remains a clear record of the bustling activity that defined the Tōkaidō road.