Mitsuke, which was a little more than three miles from Fukuroi, was the point where travelers from Edo to Kyoto had to cross the Tenryu River. Because of the strength of the current, ferry boats were used instead of human carriers.
Hiroshige pictured the crossings of the Abe and Oi Rivers in explanatory fashion, but here he adopted a lyrical approach that is more typical of his usual style. The compositional device of breaking the strong horizontal line of the boats with a near-vertical pole is somewhat reminiscent of Hokusai.
Adding to the poetic effect of the print is the mist-enveloped opposite shore of the river.