Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi 1843-1847 This series illustrated Oguri Hangan’s grate vassals “Oguri Ten Braves” and it is produced by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, a leading artist of his time in the warrior print. In sekkyou-bushi, or the oral-derived legend, there is a line that indicates “Oguri has ten vassals who were poisoned to death.” As Sanada Yukimura, the famous military commander of the Sengoku Warring States, and the story of his ten heroic vassals “Sanada Ten Braves” is well known till today, during the Edo period, the story of loyal vassals was one of the most beloved themes. Enjoy the illustrations of various scenes and customs of the battlefield such as scooping water from Onikage’s water tank and making rice porridge using a helmet.

Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi 1843-1847 This series illustrated Oguri Hangan’s grate vassals “Oguri Ten Braves” and it is produced by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, a leading artist of his time in the warrior print. In sekkyou-bushi, or the oral-derived legend, there is a line that indicates “Oguri has ten vassals who were poisoned to death.” As Sanada Yukimura, the famous military commander of the Sengoku Warring States, and the story of his ten heroic vassals “Sanada Ten Braves” is well known till today, during the Edo period, the story of loyal vassals was one of the most beloved themes. Enjoy the illustrations of various scenes and customs of the battlefield such as scooping water from Onikage’s water tank and making rice porridge using a helmet.

Syunkousai Hokuei 1833 This picture is based on a scene of a play “Picture-Book Comparison of the Princess and Twin Blades” that was performed in 1833 at the theater of Osaka. In this scene, Princess Terute, who was about to be captured by villains was saved by a fisherman Namishichi, one of the vassals of Oguri. The distinctive expressions can be observed at the animated waves and splashes expressed with a distance. A high contrast of the strong ebony color of the dark sky and the white ocean waves creates dramatic tension in the picture. Shunkousai Hokuei was an ukiyo-e artist from kamigata (western part of Japan: Kyoto and Osaka area) and kamigata style actor prints is different from that of Edo area. Especially, the drawing method of the faces of the actor prints of Osaka is different from that of Edo. It is also distinctive that many gold and silver pigments are used in the kamigata actor prints, and in this work, it can be seen in the costume of Princess Terute.

Utagawa Yoshikazu The production date: 1853 (Kaei 6) During the Edo period, there was a fish market by the Nihonbashi Bridge, the starting point of the Toukaidou Highway. The local Edo people’s favorite was bonito. It seems like a kite is stealing a man’s bonito. The background scene of Kawasaki is “The Rokugou Ferry” located by the Tamagawa River. People used ferryboat to cross the river, when there is no bridge around there. A man is Hirai Gompachi (In kabuki plays, the name turns into Shirai Gompachi）who has a connection to this region and he is known as a master swordsman. However, in this picture he was running away from a dog. Utagawa Yoshikazu Date of birth and death unknown Yoshikazu was a pupil of Utagawa Kuniyoshi and active from the Kaei era till Meiji 3 (1848~1870). He also used the artist names such as Shunsai and Ichikawa. He produced many worrier pictures, kacho-ga (pictures of birds and flowers), and Yokohama-e (ukiyo-e depicting foreigner’s life styles or the scenes of Yokohama). He also produced illustrations of kusa-zoshi (books with illustrations ).

Utagawa Yoshikazu The production date: 1853 (Kaei 6) In this print, the man on the right looks dumbfounded as he watches the man on the left do a dance along the wharf at Shinagawa. The man on the left may be mimicking the chonkina dance (a strip version of rock, paper, and scissors), which was then in fashion in the foreign settlement. The robe he is wearing has a pattern of sparrows, whose chirping was transcribed chon-chon. Kanagawa Station recalls the legend of Urashima. It could be that a fox had changed himself into its protagonist, Urashima Taro. Utagawa Yoshikazu Date of birth and death unknown Yoshikazu was a pupil of Utagawa Kuniyoshi and active from the Kaei era till Meiji 3 (1848~1870). He also used the artist names such as Shunsai and Ichikawa. He produced many worrier pictures, kacho-ga (pictures of birds and flowers), and Yokohama-e (ukiyo-e depicting foreigner’s life styles or the scenes of Yokohama). He also produced illustrations of kusa-zoshi (books with illustrations ). Many Utagawa school ukiyo-e artists published the series “Fifty-three Stations of the Toukaidou Highway”. In this distinctive series, Yoshikazu introduced the legends and episodes that related to the post stations of the Toukaidou Highway humorously. Generally, he produced humorous pictures with horizontal small ko-ban size format. Utagawa Yoshikazu Date of birth and death unknown Yoshikazu was a pupil of Utagawa Kuniyoshi and active from the Kaei era till Meiji 3 (1848~1870). He also used the artist names such as Shunsai and Ichikawa. He produced many worrier pictures, kacho-ga (pictures of birds and flowers), and Yokohama-e (ukiyo-e depicting foreigner’s life styles or the scenes of Yokohama). He also produced illustrations of kusa-zoshi (books with illustrations ).

Utagawa Yoshikazu The production date: 1853 (Kaei 6) In the Edo period, mention of Totsuka brought to mind the famous story of a man with huge testicles. In this print, the raccon dog seated in the eight-mat room is vying with him. In the Hiratsuka Station print, a man set a trap in an attempt to catch the fox (the mouse can be seen inside), but was tricked and stripped of all his belongings instead. Hiratsuka is the setting of several folktales about mischievous foxes, with names such as Sanya and Monzaburo. Many Utagawa school ukiyo-e artists published the series “Fifty-three Stations of the Toukaidou Highway”. In this distinctive series, Yoshikazu introduced the legends and episodes that related to the post stations of the Toukaidou Highway humorously. Generally, he produced humorous pictures with horizontal small ko-ban size format. Utagawa Yoshikazu Date of birth and death unknown Yoshikazu was a pupil of Utagawa Kuniyoshi and active from the Kaei era till Meiji 3 (1848~1870). He also used the artist names such as Shunsai and Ichikawa. He produced many worrier pictures, kacho-ga (pictures of birds and flowers), and Yokohama-e (ukiyo-e depicting foreigner’s life styles or the scenes of Yokohama). He also produced illustrations of kusa-zoshi (books with illustrations ).

Utagawa Yoshikazu The production date: 1853 (Kaei 6) In the Edo period, mention of Totsuka brought to mind the famous story of a man with huge testicles. In this print, the raccon dog seated in the eight-mat room is vying with him. In the Hiratsuka Station print, a man set a trap in an attempt to catch the fox (the mouse can be seen inside), but was tricked and stripped of all his belongings instead. Hiratsuka is the setting of several folktales about mischievous foxes, with names such as Sanya and Monzaburo. Many Utagawa school ukiyo-e artists published the series “Fifty-three Stations of the Toukaidou Highway”. In this distinctive series, Yoshikazu introduced the legends and episodes that related to the post stations of the Toukaidou Highway humorously. Generally, he produced humorous pictures with horizontal small ko-ban size format. Utagawa Yoshikazu Date of birth and death unknown Yoshikazu was a pupil of Utagawa Kuniyoshi and active from the Kaei era till Meiji 3 (1848~1870). He also used the artist names such as Shunsai and Ichikawa. He produced many worrier pictures, kacho-ga (pictures of birds and flowers), and Yokohama-e (ukiyo-e depicting foreigner’s life styles or the scenes of Yokohama). He also produced illustrations of kusa-zoshi (books with illustrations ).

Utagawa Yoshikazu The production date: 1853 (Kaei 6) Oiso was the birthplace of Tora Gozen, a courtesan who fell in love with Juro, the elder of the Soga brothers, famed as the protagonists in a tale of revenge. Tora was said to be born after an elder who was unable to conceive a child prayed to the gods. In response, the goddess Benzaiten appeared in a dream and left behind a stone. The stone was called the Torago Stone, and saved Juro when he was attacked by an assassin. In this picture, the Torago Stone has the legs and tail of a tiger (tora), and the passers-by are bowled over by it. In the print for Hakone, a fox is riding on a horse. The saying “like a fox on a horse” is a simile for being agitated and unsettled. It is also one for irresponsibility and untrustworthiness. To be sure, the man leading the horse looks disquieted. The setting is within the mountains of Hakone, on the border between the provinces of Izu and Sagami. Many Utagawa school ukiyo-e artists published the series “Fifty-three Stations of the Toukaidou Highway”. In this distinctive series, Yoshikazu introduced the legends and episodes that related to the post stations of the Toukaidou Highway humorously. Generally, he produced humorous pictures with horizontal small ko-ban size format. Utagawa Yoshikazu Date of birth and death unknown Yoshikazu was a pupil of Utagawa Kuniyoshi and active from the Kaei era till Meiji 3 (1848~1870). He also used the artist names such as Shunsai and Ichikawa. He produced many worrier pictures, kacho-ga (pictures of birds and flowers), and Yokohama-e (ukiyo-e depicting foreigner’s life styles or the scenes of Yokohama). He also produced illustrations of kusa-zoshi (books with illustrations ).