After the fall of the shogunate and the reopening of Japan to the rest of the world, during the Meiji Period, there was a large and growing presence of foreign residents in the country; this transformed the market and food customs of Yokohama in just a few years, making it a true "Western" district of Japan (as its port was one of the main arrival points for foreign ships). A three-sheet composite woodblock print showing, in a diagonal perspective, a very early moment in the development of Honchō-dōri, Yokohama's most important commercial artery. The street is lined with workshops, warehouses and large stores. The pavement is filled with carters and pedestrians, mostly Japanese. There are few Chinese and Westerners. On the horizon, one can see the masts of several vessels and the sails of numerous boats heading for the mainland. The large corner store on the left is the headquarters of the Mitsui company.