UTAGAWA HIROSHIGE I, Views of the Tōkaidō no. 48, 1851

Delicate proof in contemporary edition, printed on Japanese paper, in good condition, with a small margin all around. Volumes Zen Pen (Vol. I) and Go Hen (Vol. II), dating to the fourth year of the Kaei era (1851), with preface and texts by Ryūkatei Tanekazu.
The series Tōkaidō fukei zue collects narrative and landscape illustrations that retrace the stations of the Tōkaidō, the ancient road that connected Kyoto with the capital Edo. 

Bibliography
https://www.hiroshige.org.uk/Illustrated_Books/TokaidoFukeiZuye1851.htm
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1979-0305-0-550-1?selectedImageId=1613410201
https://www.artic.edu/artworks/231171/teќkaideќ-fe-kei-zue
https://asia-archive.si.edu/object/FSC-GR-780.700/

Ryūkatei Tanekazu in the spring of 1851 writes:
Preface to Volume I
“Traveling is one of life's greatest pleasures. Every year, with a trembling heart, I have longed to depart, but daily commitments have always held me back, making it impossible to realize this dream. This work by the famous artist Hiroshige offers us a magnificent alternative to travel itself. It carefully and meticulously depicts over fifty villages along the route between Kyoto and Yedo (Edo), including famous coastal and mountainous locations: Mount Akiha in the province of Omi, the Horaiji temple in Mikawa, and the paths leading to the sacred Ise shrine. Observing these images is a pleasure that, at times, can even surpass that of real travel. Those who have never traveled will find a valuable guide in these pages; those who have already visited these places will see their most vivid memories rekindled. Even though I am ignorant in the art of drawing, I dare say that this work — with its shading, its ink nuances, its harmony and grace — is not at all inferior to those of the great masters of the past.”

Afterword on the back of Volume II
“A thought directed to the teacher Hiroshige: leaning on the desk, I observed the first drafts depicting Kanazawa and Kamakura; the pine forests of the Hodogaya villa; the flowering plums at Sugita; the coastal waters of Kagekiyo; the Horai temple, the Atsuta temple; Yokkaichi; the clear waters of the Isuzu river; the Asama mountain and the conjugal rocks of Futami-ga-Ura (Meoto Iwa, which means “husband and wife rocks” is a very famous place in Japan, ed.). Continuing towards the western capital, Kyoto, the Higashiyama hills, the Kiyomizu temple, and finally the Sanjō bridge appear. Like a fox borrowing the mane of a lion, I have the honor of writing these final words to conclude the work, on a rainy day at the beginning of spring.”