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...
women; kimonos; trees; men (male humans); bodies of water
The 9th century poet Ono no Komachi, according to legend, was asked by the emperor to pray for rain to end a drought. Dressed in court robes at a Shinto shrine, she reads her prayer; in response, lightning in the dawn sky indicates the rains will...
women; men (male humans); kimonos; military uniforms; drums (membranophones); flutes (aerophones); biwa; swords; fans (costume accessories)
The emperor, empress and five court ladies at right observe a traditional shirabyoshi dancer. While the imperial couple sit in chairs at a table, their attendants kneel on the carpeted verandah. Also on the porch is an enormous flower arrangement...
Lord Sadanobu was a minister at the Heian court in the first half of the tenth century. The 13th-century book Okagami tells the story of how one evening, as he was hurrying to a meeting at the imperial palace, he felt something grab the end of his...
Lord Sadanobu was a minister at the Heian court in the first half of the tenth century. The 13th-century book Okagami tells the story of how one evening, as he was hurrying to a meeting at the imperial palace, he felt something grab the end of his...
A man in ragged robes sits on the ground before a yellow-flowering bush watching sparrows flying above him. Sanekata was a poet and high-ranking nobleman of the Fujiwara clan. He died in exile in 994. Toward the end of his political career,...
A man in ragged robes sits on the ground before a yellow-flowering bush watching sparrows flying above him. Sanekata was a poet and high-ranking nobleman of the Fujiwara clan. He died in exile in 994. Toward the end of his political career,...
A sketch of two actors, Sakata Kintoki and Tsuchigumo in a play from the story of Raiko and the Earth Spider. In this tale, Raiko, while on a quest in search of a giant flying skull, found himself feeling ill and retired for the night. A servant...
Back to back print. Kesa Gozen was a beautiful and virtuous married woman whose cousin, Endo Morito, fell in love with her. She rejected his persistent advances, but eventually fearing for her husband's safety in the face of Endo's obsession, she...
depictions; men (male humans); warriors; boats; robes (main garments); hats
Back to back print. In 1331, the Hojo clan exiled the Emperor Go-Daigo to Oki Island. In 1333 Go-Daigo escaped Oki in a fishing boat, landing eventually in Katami. Its lord, Nawa-no-Nagashige, was an adherent to the Imperial cause, who cordially...
The courtesan Imamurasaki, dressed in festive, long-sleeved robes and a small hat, is depicted dancing to imayo music. Imayo was a popular form of music that originated among the common people, but toward the end of the Heian period was taken up by...
men (male humans); soldiers; military uniforms; swords; hats;
With the Satsuma Rebellion in Kyushu capturing the country's attention in 1877, Tokyo publishers were quick to provide more background materials about Saigo and his men, such as this scene from a dramatic meeting in 1873 when Saigo quit the...
women; children (people by age group); kimonos; candles; candleholders; fusuma
During the Setsubun / "Change of Season" festival held at the end of winter by the lunar calendar, mame-maki / "bean throwing" is accompanied by shouts of "Fuku wa uchi, oni wa soto" / "Good fortune in, demons out!" The beans are usually thrown out...
According to the text panel, "Ransen was originally a person from Japan, and even though she was a woman, she had a pure heart and acquired the magic of the immortals, riding dragons and floating on clouds without end." From other sources, she...
