This series made Hiroshige's fame as a recognized master of landscape. He traveled to many of the stations on the Tokaido, which, according to legend, he was inspired to depict after being selected to accompany the white horse the shogun presented annually to the emperor. On the journey Hiroshige evidently made sketches for some of the printed designs. But the designs for the later stations are more abstract; the lack of detail and their reliance on published views suggest that he did not visit all the stations, and certainly not during the various states of weather he depicted.