The Ghost of Asakura Togo

1840 - 1860
19th
14.21 in. x 9.72 in. (36.1 cm x 24.7 cm)

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (also called Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi; Choro), (1798–1861)

User Text 1 As civil unrest and oppression grew in Japan during the nineteenth century, the public identified with stories involving clearly defined villains and heroes. Revenge-seeking ghosts became a major theme in kabuki and ukiyo-e. The scene in this print was taken from a kabuki play based on a historical event, with the names, locations, and time period changed to elude censorship. In the play The Tale of the Martyr of Sakura peasants are subjected to increasingly heavy taxation by their feudal lord. The village leader, Asakura Togo, travels to Edo to petition the shogun directly, knowing that it is strictly prohibited. As punishment, he and his wife are forced to witness the beheading of their three sons, after which they themselves are crucified. Here, Togo’s bloodied ghost seeks revenge on the executioner. As the two prepare to face off, the larger figure begins to draw his sword in a useless attempt to protect himself from the approaching ghost.