men (male humans); women; Japanese maple; kimonos; mountains; trees; biwa
Fujiwara no Moronaga (1137-1192) was famous as a lute or biwa musician but unfortunate in his political career, as he kept running afoul of Taira no Kiyomori, who first exiled him in 1165 to Kyushu for 8 years and then in 1179 to Owari Province...
castles (fortifications); architectural elements; men (male humans); lanterns
From one of the gate towers of Edo Castle, the shogun and his advisers observe the testing of munitions in nearby Edo Bay. The circular inset shows the launch tower for the explosives, with a paper lantern bearing the inscription "Official Use" /...
women; children (people by age group); elderly; Single Built Works; bamboo; bodies of water; kimonos; fans (costume accessories); benches; fishing
Meiji period color woodblock print depicting a young boy fishing for what appear to be fancy goldfish. His mother is seated on a bench nearby, at the water's edge. Above is a scene with a young woman fetching water for tea for an elderly woman...
In the 3rd month of the year, special tea ceremonies were held in the Inner Palace when guests and hosts played sophisticated games, such as guessing which types of tea were being served, or exchanged roles. In mawaribana guests took turns...
women; girls; kimonos; hair ornaments; hairstyles; waterfalls (natural bodies of water); Japanese gardens; built works
A group of women stand on the banks of a stream in a garden. Behind them stands a cliff, over which falls a waterfall. In the far background a pavilion overlooks the water.
legends (folk tales); women; rivers; waterfalls (natural bodies of water)
An image of a woman sitting in the base of a waterfall, praying as the water falls around her. Tamiya Gempachiro, a fencing master from the Ikoma clan in Sanuki Province, was put to death in 1624 by a rival. His wife was pregnant and after his...
Meiji period color woodblock diptych print depicting calligraphy displayed on water, with flowers and trees in the background. The title page for a series of 40 scenes inside the women's quarters of the shogun's palace in Edo.
Meiji period color woodblock triptych depicting a group of bijin in an outdoor setting picking mushrooms. A waterfall is seen in the background in the center panel. Bright colors used in the image create a fantastic appearance.
trees; flowers (plants); men (male humans); women; kimonos; waterfalls (natural bodies of water)
Oguri Hangan, searching for stolen family treasures in Yokoyama, finds his missing fiancee, Princess Terute, working incognito as a maid in the house of a rice merchant. The merchant's daughter, who also loves Hangan, attempts to kill Terute out of...
Emperors; courts (social groups); fountains; kimonos; military uniforms; lanterns (lighting devices); flags; trees; Built complexes and districts; clock towers; bands (ensembles)
The emperor and court ladies stand between two fountains that flank the entry into the Ueno Park compound housing the Second National Industrial Exhibition that was open to the public from 01 March to 30 June 1881. Such fairs followed European and...
legends (folk tales); men (male humans); women; children (people by age group); swords; kimonos; waterfalls (natural bodies of water); baskets
The 24 Paragons of Filial Piety are based on a compilation of Confucian tales of exemplary behavior by children to their elders. In this tale, Chi Shun went into the forest to gather mulberries for his widowed mother, throwing the ripe, black...
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; lanterns (lighting devices); waterfalls (natural bodies of water); hats; pipes (smoking equipment); sandals; Japanese maple; built works; palanquins
The Nikko area in the mountains north of Edo/Tokyo is famous for autumn colors and for the many waterfalls that feed into Lake Chuzenji. In this view Hannya is on the right and the higher Hoto at left. Chikanobu shows two elegantly dressed ladies,...
women; kimonos; Single Built Works; agricultural land; teakettles; tables (support furniture); stoves (heating equipment)
Several tourists are enjoying the interesting phenomenon of the moon being reflected on the water surface of flooded rice fields in Shinano Province (Nagano Prefecture). This famous view was well-known to travelers and even illustrated by Hiroshige...
Meiji period color woodblock print; a highly unusual design in Chikanobu's output. This design was obviously intended for the gaijin, and has been printed with an English title in the top margin. The eagle is depicted in its death throes, in the...
women; boats; trees; flowers (plants); bodies of water; kimonos; fans (costume accessories); men (male humans); hairstyles; hair ornaments; swords
Meiji period color woodblock triptych "Sumikawa Yayoi no Hana" depicting the Meiji Emperor and Empress viewing cherry blossoms from a boat on the Sumida River. Court attendants are floating red sake cups on the river.
Meiji period color woodblock print from the series "Blossoming of Glorious Colors." Two courtesans sit with musical instruments in a room overlooking a water garden. A stone lantern sit under a pine outside the door; in the distance a bridge arcs...
women; men (male humans); bodies of water; kimonos; hats; sandals; swords; Built complexes and districts
Meiji period color woodblock print from the series "Snow, Moon, Flower." The warrior Asahina looks down on Princess Katami who attempts to escape the Mutsu Province castle at Hirosaki. The image in the inset reveals two male figures, one with...
women; men (male humans); kimonos; trees; flowers (plants); swords; bodies of water; warriors; princesses
The 11th century warrior Omori Hikoshichi, according to the Taiheiki, had rescued Princess Chihaya, daughter of his former enemy Kusunoki Masashige (1294-1336). As Hikoshichi carried her across a river, he noticed in her reflection that she had...
Realizing the Taira forces would be defeated at the Battle of Dan-no-Ura, Tomomori (1152-1185), the Taira clan leader, grabbed an anchor and leapt into the sea. The three imperial symbols were also thrown into the water, to keep the Genji from...
