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Description
Workers return home to the village at the foot of Mt. Fuji after a long day's work. The clouds, lit by the remaining light from the setting sun, seem to pop out from the print, and the reflections of the reeds and stone wall have been delicately printed. At the right of the print we see the words hi no yōjin (火の用心), meaning "watch out for fire", written on the sliding paper screen of a house. Even today in Japan in winter, the driest season, you will find groups of volunteers walking roads in populated areas in the evening chanting this warning, reminding residents of Japan's long history of disastrous fires. In this print, however, there is no sign of danger, everything in the scene suggesting there is a peaceful night ahead.
The print is from Okuyama's "Works on Mt. Fuji" (富士連作) series.