The 10th century poetic anthology Tales of Ise contains several verses that reportedly describe the love life of Ariwara no Narihira (825-880). According to legend, this handsome poet and courtier eloped with Fujiwara no Koshi (842-910) who was...
The warrior Ota Dokan Sukenaga (1432-1486) was caught in a rain storm and sought refuge at a rundown mill. The owner's daughter, instead of bringing him rain gear, delivered a fan decorated with yellow mountain rose flowers / yamabuki, making...
Wangpou was so diligent about calming his mother's fear of lightning that even after her death, he would go to her tomb during a rainstorm to comfort her. By contrast, this modern woman, caught in a summer downpour, seems unconcerned about the...
men (male humans); women; children (people by age group); kimonos; snow (precipitation); parasols; lanterns (lighting devices); hats; baskets; sandals
The famous thief Nezumi Kozo, the "Little Rat Kozo" of Edo, disguised as Takasaki Beian, stands outside an inn talking with a young boy, the clam seller Sankichi. Kozo was a "Robin Hood" type character, eventually caught and executed in 1835.
Among the legends represented in the 24 Paragons of Filial Piety is the story of Wang Xiang (Osho), a third-century court official who, to fulfill his ill stepmother's craving for fresh fish in midwinter, caught some carp by lying on the ice until...
An image of monsters coming out of a basket, threatening an old man. An old man and an old woman were neighbors. Every evening the old man fed a sparrow that visited him. When he returned home one day he was disturbed not to see the sparrow and...
Shiei caught a red carp which he released in his pond. He fed it well, and it grew to enormous size. One day the carp spoke to him and promised to carry him to heaven. Here Shiei, dressed in a green Chinese robe, has mounted the fish and is carried...
A woman, in a flower-covered red robe, dances, surrounded by small flames. Princess Yaegaki found herself in as difficult a situation as Romeo and Juliet, with whom this story from the play Honcho Nijushiko, or Twenty-four Examples of Filial Piety,...
Under a moonlit night sky, a samurai raises his sword overhead in a two-handed grip to cut down at a second warrior whose spear is caught in the crate before him. A young child is strapped to his back. Behind them a fallen samurai collapses in a...
children (people by age group); hair ornaments; hairstyles; kimonos; dolls
This series depicts a variety of girls and women in both modern and traditional costumes. Some hold fans, flowers or books, while others play musical instruments, read the newspaper or drink beverages. Nearly all have their heads turned slightly,...
