Collection database

SH2018 DM 019
Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) 歌川国貞 (三代目豊国) (1786–1865) Enomotoya Kichibei (Hōeidō) 榎本屋吉兵衛 (豊栄堂)

Various groups of travelers pass each other in the Ōi River as they journey on the Tōkaidō road between Edo and the Kamigata region of Kyoto and Osaka. On the right is the troupe of Seki Sanjūrō II (1786–1839). Behind him is a wooden sign that reads “Seki Sanjūrō’s luggage” (関三十郎荷物). They are on their way to Osaka (Naniwa), a city with a vibrant Kabuki theatre scene and Sanjūrō’s birthplace. During his career his was mostly active in Edo but sometimes performed in Osaka as well. In the centre sheet is the actor Asao Tomozō (1797–1851, also known as Yoroku), another Osaka-born actor who performed in both cities. Both actors traveled to Osaka in the autumn of 1826 to perform in the play Genpei no Nunobiki no Taki (Minamoto and Taira, and the Nunobiki Waterfalls) in the 12th month of 1826, which allows us to date this print. Coming from the opposite direction, in the left sheet, are the actors Onoe Kikugorō III (1784–1849, also known as Ōkawa Hachizō) and his son, Onoe Matsusuke III (1805–1851), who travelled from Osaka to Edo around the same time (he also has a luggage sign). Kunisada jokingly suggests with this print that the actor troupes crossed paths while making their way across the Ōi River. Special carrier services had to be hired to be able to cross because there was no bridge – frequent flooding prevented a bridge from being built. The triptych might have also served as an advertisement for an upcoming play: in 1827 Kikugorō III played the role of Nippon Daemon in the play Hitori tabi gojūsan tsugi (A Lone Journey along the 53 Stations), which contains a reenactment of an Ōi River crossing. To add liveliness to this scene, Kunisada added two ‘castle maids’ (jochū), female servants in wealthy samurai households, who are on a pilgrimage to the great shrines of Ise (Ise mairi jochū ren 伊勢参り女中蓮).

A Meeting between Travellers on the Ōi River: a Journey [Descent] to the East [Edo], a Journey ['Ascent'] to Naniwa [Osaka]

Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) 歌川国貞 (三代目豊国) (1786–1865)

SH2018 DM 116
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡芳年 (1839–1892) Iseya Kisaburō (Man’yōdō) 伊勢屋喜三郎 (万葉堂)

Stories of Modern Chivalrous Men is a series of 36 designs Yoshitoshi made early on in his career. The set revolves around two rival gambling gangs that clashed in a bloody turf war during the 1840s, in around the area of the Tone River bedding in present-day northeastern Chiba Prefecture. The two gangleaders (oyabun) were Iioka no Sukegorō (1792–1859) and Sasagawa no Shigezō (1810–1847), their names derived from their turfs around Iioka Beach and the Sasa Riverbed. In the texts written by light novel author Sansantei Arindō (real name Jōno Saigiku, 1832–1902) the two rivals were renamed Sutegorō and Higezō to avoid censorship. Their feud continued for a couple of years until Sukegorō had Shigezō assassinated in 1847, in such an underhanded way that even some of his underlings (kobun) disliked it. A few of Shigezō's henchmen, including his successor Seiriki no Tomigorō, wanted to retaliate and attacked Sukegorō but failed, and Tomigorō committed suicide when he was surrounded by Sukegorō's men. The conflict seems to have stopped afterwards. The turf war was on such a large scale that it caught the attention of the Edo populace and reminded them of the large-scale samurai battles of old. It was soon heralded by professional storyteller (kōdanshi) Takarai Kinryō I as the "Suikoden of the Tenpō Era", referring to the extremely popular novel Suikoden (Water Margin) about 108 heroic bandits who defied the corrupt authorities. The Japanese of the Edo period loved rough strongmen with a disregard for authority, and later a kabuki play based on these events was performed in Edo, turning the gambling kingpins and their followers into exaggeratedly strong, rough, yet noble characters. Yoshitoshi followed suit, and depicts them displaying superhuman feats of strength, with the texts emphasizing their chivalry and kind-heartedness.

The text explains how, as a young man, Sukegorō made a name for himself by stopping Ikeda Kaku, a notorious rōnin, from terrorizing a small town during a drunken rampage. The image shows how he subdues an armed Kaku, a renowned swordsman, using his bare hands. The text also highlights his personal traits: level-headed, reserved, and calculated, Sukegorō values wealth and power above all and has little regard for human life (“has more disdain for human life than for a goose’s feather” inochi o gamō yori mo karonzu 命を鵞毛よりもかろんず). It also lists his most important followers: Sunosaki Matakichi 洲の崎亦吉, Niimachi Kanta 新待勘太, Oshita (Oshita no Rishichi) 尾下 ([sic] 小下), Kirishima (Kirishima Matsugorō) 桐島, and Sageo (Sageo no Isuke) 下緒. Lastly, it briefly describes the conflict between Sukegorō and his rival Sasagawa no Higezō (Shigezō), and ends with saying that he scaped death three times and died peacefully from old age.

Iioka no Sutegorō

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡芳年 (1839–1892)

SH2018 DM 138
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡芳年 (1839–1892) Iseya Kisaburō (Man’yōdō) 伊勢屋喜三郎 (万葉堂)

Stories of Modern Chivalrous Men is a series of 36 designs Yoshitoshi made early on in his career. The set revolves around two rival gambling gangs that clashed in a bloody turf war during the 1840s, in around the area of the Tone River bedding in present-day northeastern Chiba Prefecture. The two gangleaders (oyabun) were Iioka no Sukegorō (1792–1859) and Sasagawa no Shigezō (1810–1847), their names derived from their turfs around Iioka Beach and the Sasa Riverbed. In the texts written by light novel author Sansantei Arindō (real name Jōno Saigiku, 1832–1902) the two rivals were renamed Sutegorō and Higezō to avoid censorship. Their feud continued for a couple of years until Sukegorō had Shigezō assassinated in 1847, in such an underhanded way that even some of his underlings (kobun) disliked it. A few of Shigezō's henchmen, including his successor Seiriki no Tomigorō, wanted to retaliate and attacked Sukegorō but failed, and Tomigorō committed suicide when he was surrounded by Sukegorō's men. The conflict seems to have stopped afterwards. The turf war was on such a large scale that it caught the attention of the Edo populace and reminded them of the large-scale samurai battles of old. It was soon heralded by professional storyteller (kōdanshi) Takarai Kinryō I as the "Suikoden of the Tenpō Era", referring to the extremely popular novel Suikoden (Water Margin) about 108 heroic bandits who defied the corrupt authorities. The Japanese of the Edo period loved rough strongmen with a disregard for authority, and later a kabuki play based on these events was performed in Edo, turning the gambling kingpins and their followers into exaggeratedly strong, rough, yet noble characters. Yoshitoshi followed suit, and depicts them displaying superhuman feats of strength, with the texts emphasizing their chivalry and kind-heartedness.

Here Sasagawa Shigezō (also known as Iwase Shigezō, and here under the pseudonym Kasagawa Higezō) is shown wrestling with a raging bull and is about to give the animal a hard smack on its head. The text sheds some light on Shigezō's life, including the incident with the bull. (see Inscription)

Kasagawa Higezō

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡芳年 (1839–1892)

SH2018 DM 137
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡芳年 (1839–1892) Iseya Kisaburō (Man’yōdō) 伊勢屋喜三郎 (万葉堂)

For a description of this series, see Iioka no Sutegorō: https://www.sieboldhuis.org/co...

Sunosaki Matakichi (real name Masakichi) was the right hand man of Iioka no Sutegorō (Sukegorō).

The text gives some details about Masakichi's life.

Matakichi was from Sunosaki in the southern tip of Awa Province (present-day Chiba Prefecture). He was once rescued by Sutegorō and became the latter’s underling (kobun). One day a large group of Shigezō’s henchmen came by Sukegorō’s house. In response, Matakichi grabbed a gigantic, heavy anchor and casually swung it over his shoulder, approached the rival gang and said hello in a friendly manner while taking a light bow, intimidating them with his superhuman strength.

Yoshitoshi depicts him casually holding a massive anchor that seems to weigh a tonne.

Sunosaki Matakichi

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡芳年 (1839–1892)

SH2018 DM 136
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡芳年 (1839–1892) Iseya Kisaburō (Man’yōdō) 伊勢屋喜三郎 (万葉堂)

See Iioka no Sutegorō for a description about the series: https://www.sieboldhuis.org/co...

Takezō was from the area around the Jizō Temple of Five Hundred Arhats (Jizōji Gohyaku Rakan) in Awa Province in northeastern Shikoku. Yoshitoshi depicts him performing a feat of unbelievable strength, holding a giant sake keg with a man on top with his stretched out arm, as if it were as light as a feather, while enjoying his tobacco pipe (kiseru).

Rakan no Takezō

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡芳年 (1839–1892)

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