A group of men carry a daimyō procession over the Ōi River.

During the Edo period, the Tōkaidō highway connected the city of Edo to Kyoto, and daimyō from western domains were required to travel to Edo regularly to serve the shōgun. However, the Tokugawa shogunate prohibited building bridges over major rivers as a security measure. In the case of the Ōi River, ferryboats were also banned, so travellers, including the daimyō processions had to cross the river on the shoulders of bearers or on horseback.