From Sakanoshita the Tokaido led one a distance of about four and a half miles over the Suzuka Pass to Tuchiyama, a place which has always been famous for its rain. In this print Hiroshige attempted, with great success, to capture the particular beauty of a rainy day, treating the raindrops themselves in a fashion that was later to gain him much admiration in the West.
The setting is probably in the vicinity of the Tamura Myojin Shrine, which is sacred to the memory of Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, a famous warrior of the eighth cenfury, though the scenery itself is probably Hiroshige's own invention. The placement of the procession of travelers, of the tall cedars, and of the river is geometrically unbalanced, but the picture is brought tightly together by the color values. The contrast between the indigo of the river and the red and green raincoats of the travelers is particularly beautiful. This is one of the four or five most highly treasured prints in the Tokaido series.