The Edo Period
You are probably already familiar with Utegawa Kuniyoshi’s work without realizing it. For example, this wonderful triptych depicting a giant skeleton battling a wizard:
This artist’s life and work neatly coincide with the end of Japan’s Edo period.
The Edo period refers to the years between 1603 and 1868— a span of 265 years during which the Tokugawa military dynasty ruled over a unified Japan from its capital in Edo (now Tokyo).
‘The Edo period’ and ‘the Tokugawa Shogunate’ are basically synonymous, and Utegawa Kuniyoshi died only seven years before the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
After nearly two centuries of civil war, the Tokugawa regime’s stable, albeit heavy-handed, centralized government had provided the necessary framework for art and commerce to flourish.
This was the period wherein Japan would institute its famous policy of national isolation, known as sakoku.
Tokugawa Iemitsu, third Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, saw the persistent overtures from both Eastern and Western interests as a significant threat to Japanese sovereignty; extreme measures were enacted to turn back the tide of poorly disguised colonial efforts.
The aim of sakoku was to restrict foreign influence over Japanese culture, trade, and politics. These policies are considered instrumental in the prosperity that characterized the Edo era; Japanese merchants and artisans would reap the rewards of international trade while enjoying relative immunity from the risks involved.
Ukiyo-e —a word that means ‘pictures of the floating world’—is an art form that epitomizes the zeitgeist of the Edo period, with Utegawa Kuniyoshi standing as one of the last great practitioners of the form.
His work encompasses both the peak and the decline of what has been called the Japanese Renaissance.
Kuniyoshi’s colorful and luxurious prints offer viewers a spell-binding portrait of the Floating World of Japan’s Edo period.
Decadent, jarring, and intimate, his work is both cosmopolitan and animistic. It embodies all the force of nature’s elements, and all the refinement of the Japanese Court, while reflecting the delicate self-awareness that has pervaded the Japanese identity ever since the first Portuguese merchants arrived on the shores of Tanegashima with their guns and Catholicism.
Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Utagawa Kuniyoshi was born Igusa Magusaboro, in Edo, Japan, on January 1st, 1798. As a young man, he went by another name: Yoshisaburo.
The name‘Yoshisaburo’ breaks down like this:
Yoshi (義): can mean “righteousness,” “justice,” or “morality.”
Saburō (三郎): a traditional Japanese name component where “Saburō” means “third son.”
Yoshisaburo was born the son of a dyer of silks; immersion in the world of pattern and color from birth is considered by critics and historians to have been a dominant force in shaping his distinctive approach to print-making.
Yoshisaburo’s skill was recognized early on; at the age of twelve, he was inducted into the studio of print-master Utagawa Toyokuni (1769–1825) .
Utagawa Toyokuni was himself a disciple of Utagawa Toyoharu (1735–1814), founder of the Utagawa print-making school.
The tradition of students taking on the name of the school they belonged to, as well as adopting kanji from the names of the masters they apprenticed under, was well-established in Japanese culture. Artistic lineage was highly esteemed; these naming conventions lended weight and authority to individual artists while also ensuring the fame and continuity of the discipline they were educated in.
‘Kuniyoshi’, then, is a compositing of the artist’s original name, and that of his master, Utagawa Toyokuni.
Are you ready to marvel at the mastery of the Utagawa print-making school?
Get ready as we prepare to join Utagawa Kuniyoshi-
AT THE END OF THE FLOATING WORLD!!
Oniwaka-Maru and Giant Carp, 1838
The myth-cycle of Oniwaka-Maru is thought to have originated in Japan’s distant past, perhaps as early as the Heian period (794-1185) .
By the time of Utagawa Kuniyoshi, the tale of Oniwaka-Maru was a staple theme among print-makers and practitioners of Kabuki theater. His story was a national treasure, much beloved at every level of society.
Legend has it that Oniwaka-Maru was orphaned at a young age when his venerable father, the legendary samurai Minamoto No Yoshinaka, was killed in battle. Vowing to avenge his father’s death, the young boy trained tirelessly in the art of combat.
In the story of ‘Oniwaka and the Carp’, the aspiring warrior encounters a demon fish while training on the mystical Mount Atagao.
In Japanese folklore, the carp is said to have the ability to transform itself into a dragon by swimming upstream. Does this sound familiar?
The story could be said to represent Oniwaka’s own transformation from a mere boy to a hero of legend. From the beginning, the young man had been swimming against the rushing waters of life, but vanquishing the demon carp would provide the first milestone in his career as a Japanese folk hero, setting Oniwaka-Maru on the path to undying renown.
Miyamoto Musashi Killing A Giant Nue, b. 1861
Miyamoto Musashi was a historical figure who lived from 1584 to 1645, during the early Edo period. In his lifetime, the undefeated swordsman attained mythic status due to his skill as a duelist.
In old age, Musashi retired to Mount Kinpo, where he composed The Book of Five Rings in the Reigando cave.
Originally intended as a manual for students of the blade, Musashi’s distinctive blend of mature observation and practical wisdom has earned the book a place among the great works of world literature.
Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s depiction of Miyamoto Musashi as a monster-slayer captures the larger-than-life status of this enduring icon. The monster he is seen overpowering is the Nue, a creature thought to derive from The Tale of the Heike (Heike Monogatari).
First compiled as a written work in the early 13th century, Heike Monogatari is an early historical epic recounting the long war between the Taira and Minamoto clans— sort of like the Illiad of Japan.
Although these rival factions had clashed nearly a century and a half before Heiki Monogatari was written down, the tale is believed to have been preserved and transmitted by a class of blind, lute-playing priests called Biwa- Hoshi
In the story, the Nue is introduced as a supernatural terror threatening the Imperial palace in Kyoto. The great warrior Minamoto no Yorimasa is summoned to dispatch the creature, which he does with a single arrow.
Kuniyoshi’s playful blending of legendary motifs places Miyamoto Musashi on equal footing with the monster-slayer Minamoto no Yorimasa, demonstrating the central role Musashi was seen to occupy as both a champion and as a preserver of Japanese culture.
