I can’t help but wonder what happens when the two boats being pulled come together. Does one of the men go under the other’s rope? If so, who decides who does what? If they don’t get it right, the ropes will get tangled. That can’t be good for business…

This canal was created in the seventeenth century to supply drinking water to the Fukagawa area. In Hiroshige’s time a regular passenger-boat service emerged as a pleasant shortcut for Edo travelers heading northeast. This was the only towboat canal in Edo, and hence it enjoyed some distinction. Although the canal followed an absolutely straight line, Hiroshige depicted it with artistic license. The dramatic curves lend a sense of Western perspective seldom encountered in the series.

Source: https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/121647

1857