men (male humans); women; children (people by age group); kimonos; trees; swords; baskets; flowers (plants)
Sansho Daiyu sold into slavery Yasu-hime and Zushiomaru, the daughter and son (shown here) of the provincial governor Iwaka Masauji, who had been overthrown and exiled. Iwaka’s loyal retainer Tatebe Kanamenosuke attempted to rescue the children,...
women; children (people by age group); kimonos; leaf (plant material); cups
On an autumn outing, this boy holds tightly to his balloon string and his mother's fingers. He looks straight out at the viewer, and his smiling face suggests he could be a real handful. His mother has a firm grip on him, though, as she enjoys the...
A noblewoman holding her brush in the traditional vertical position writes on the outside of a scroll. Her eyebrows have been shaved and "moth wing" eyebrows painted on her forehead, as appropriate to her rank. In the inset, a small box hold shells...
women; kimonos; children (people by age group); snow (precipitation); trees; hats
Tokiwa gozen had to flee Kyoto in the dead of winter after her husband Minamoto no Yoshitomo (1123-60) was murdered and their home pillaged. (See Plate 55) Here she clasps to her chest their youngest son Ushiwaka, wrapped in orange brocade; he will...
children (people by age group); kimonos; calligraphy; hairstyles; desks
A young girl with a modern bobbed hair style and a fashionable kimono is seated at a Western style school desk doing calligraphy. She holds her brush as if it were a pen or pencil rather than in the traditional vertical position, as shown in the...
A character in "The Tale of the Heike" and kabuki plays, Mongaku experienced a religious awakening at the age of 19, took vows and entered the life of a wandering ascetic. As an austerity, Mongaku prayed beneath the Nachi waterfalls, standing under...
Dressed in fine French fashions, these two ladies and young girl seem to be ready for a stroll in the garden beyond or a visit to the newly modernized shopping area of the Ginza. On the table is a European teapot with matching cup and saucer, In...
Built complexes and districts; men (male humans); emperors; empresses; dresses (garments); horseback riding; military uniforms; hats; banners; carriages (vehicles)
Riding in an elaborate carriage, the emperor and empress have departed the Tokyo Imperial Palace, seen beyond the moat and stone walls, via the recently constructed Niju bashi / "Double Bridge" that leads from the southeast side of the palace...
warriors; women; men (male humans); boats; halberds; kimonos; banners
Osumi no kata was the daughter of the warrior Honda Tadakatsu (1548-1618), a close Tokugawa ally. She was married to Sanada Nobuyuki (1566-1658), who as a boy had been sent by his father to be a Tokugawa hostage. In 1600 Nobuyuki's father and...
A young beauty looks away from the viewer, glancing back over her left shoulder. She wears a comb and a flowered hair ornament with a blue and white tassel in her hair and a ring on her left hand. Three layers of kimono are visible: a gray...
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...
women; men (male humans); princes; shores (landforms); trees; kimonos; boats
Prince Ariwara no Yukihira (818-893), according to the noh play "Matsukaze," was sent into exile at Suma, where he fell in love with two daughters of a salt-maker. After three years of banishment, Yukihira returned to Kyoto, leaving Murasame and...
men (male humans); women; Japanese maple; trees; kimonos; swords; streams; mountains; warriors
The heroic figure Minamoto no Yorimitsu (948-1021), together with his entourage called the "Four Heavenly Kings / Shitenno," was asked to clear Mt. Oe of the demon Shuten Doji, who ate men and captured beautiful women to serve him. Here they...
men (male humans); soldiers; trees; military uniforms; halberds; swords; flags; cannons (artillery); ships; shores (landforms); fans (costume accessories); chairs
On the shores of Kagoshima Bay, where an imperial navy ship steams toward Sakurajima, Saigo Takamori (1827-1877) stands before a captured cannon wearing his Western style officer's uniform. To the right of Saigo is Kirino Toshiaki (1838-1877)...
In the 11th century novel Tale of Genji, the Third Princess, young wife of the middle age Prince Genji, ventures to the verandah of her quarters to observe some courtiers playing kickball / kemari. Although she is supposed to stay hidden behind...
Three women relax among beds of chrysanthemums. A large pot with red, white, and gold chrysanthemums sits behind them; this and the strong colors of their kimono form vivid splashes of color against the soft gray washes making up the background.
