Ukiyo-e Analysis of "The Annotated Story of Togo"

History and Provenance

Utagawa Yoshitsuya’s “Annotated Story of Togo” is a rich, complex and historically significant woodblock print, based on the kabuki interpretation of an incident that occurred during the Edo Era, around 1652 or 1653, definitely mid 17th century. The play, Higashiyama Sakura Zoshi, also called Sakura Giminden or Sakura Soshi Gonichi no Bundan, revolves around political oppression and protest. Unsurprisingly, the use of the real names of the protester, the daimyo and the shogun did not pass government censors, forcing the playwrights to set it in another period, the Sengoku or Warring States Era, under the shogunate of Ashikaga Yoshimasa and to rename the characters. Ukiyo-e were similarly censored; artists likewise discovered ways for their drawings to pass inspection. Yoshitsuya, for example, used the names of the characters from the kabuki plays. “The Annotated Story of Togo” in particular directly includes names of actors, possibly indicating its use as advertisement. The kabuki actor Ichikawa Kodanji IV portrays Asakura Togo, the play’s version of Kiuchi Sogo, although other sources name the character Sakura Sogoro.

Sogo was the head of the village Kozu-mura, now Narita city. The plays style him as “Sakura, the Man of Justice” or “Self-Sacrificing Man Sakura”, referring to his determination to appeal to the shogun directly on behalf of the villagers, who were paying heavy taxes to the daimyo. In actuality, the shogun was Tokugawa Ietsuna, and direct appeals were forbidden under penalty of death. Although his plea eased the troubles of the villagers, he and his sons were put to death for his transgression. The story goes on to say that he came back as ghost to haunt the daimyo and the shogun, another topic often explored in ukiyo-e. It is said that his spirit was not put to rest until amends were made to his memory and his family, such as the erection of the Sogo-Reido Sanctuary in his honor.

Meaning

Ukiyo-e, as mass-produced commercial art, appealed to a great many people. Artists typically stuck with various popular genres, such as bijinga (beautiful women), kabuki actors, and landscape. But this woodblock print of Togo’s appeal holds much more than just kabuki actors; it is unique because it is more than a “floating” world. There is history and substance in this illustrated scene that reached beyond the walls of the pleasure quarters, beyond the superficiality often associated with ukiyo-e. Sogo’s story, which becomes Togo’s story, connotes justice and selflessness. It has strength because he voluntarily cedes his life for a chance to help impoverished villagers.

The renaming of Sogo becomes significant. Instead of choosing a name at random, they call him Sakura or Asakura, both of which invoke images of cherry blossoms. In Japan, cherry blossoms symbolize spring and the transient nature of life. His new name, then, directly links to his fate, his death. Japanese culture has often been noted for the connection of self-sacrifice and honor, particularly because of the code of honor that regulated the samurai class. Seppuku, for example, was a part of the code in which samurai chose to die with honor than give in to the enemy. Togo’s death for the villagers almost elevates him to the level of samurai, at least in terms of spirit and honor.

The Positions of the Actors (How Meaning is Created)

Yoshitsuya creates strength through his particular portrayal of Togo in relation to the other figures in the image. Togo, the focus of the image, does not portray a bedraggled, begging mayor, but a strong, defiant, committed man. Although he kneels, his muscles tense in preparation for action as he makes his appeal. One of his hands grips one of the guards, and although his other hand cannot be seen, the awkward position of the other guard indicates that Togo also has him in a grip. This guard looks like he has been forced to the ground and his right arm seems forced into a painful position behind his neck. His expression is chagrined in contrast to Togo, who locks gazes with the shogun. Essentially, Yoshitsuya shows Togo in a moment of protest communicated through the strength of his body language. Although this print does not seem to be of a mie, a pose meant to show the height of emotion, this scene holds all the tension and emotion of the climax of a play. The conflict lies within the two central figures, the shogun and Sakura, and this is emphasized by the use of the bridge in the composition. The class system in Japan was well defined, and Togo, as a villager, lay far below the shogun. The bridge acts as a separation between these two classes of people, almost becoming a throne for the shogun, a tool used to intimidate, a physical manifestation of the power of the shogun lorded over Togo. It also elevates the woman, although she sits by the shogun’s feet. This is possibly Togo’s wife, who, in some versions of the tale, was taken hostage. In other versions, she went with Togo, to die with him. If the figure is meant to be his wife, then she was probably being used as a bargaining tool. Personally, I did not think that the figure was his wife because the expression on her face, a kind of half-smile, as he makes his appeal does not seem appropriate for the circumstances. But perhaps, she smiles because she’s proud of her husband.

Composition, Technical Elements and Meaning

The positioning and coloring of the actors creates movement in the composition. The bright and elaborate dress of the shogun, with complementary colors blue and orange caught my attention first, then swept down following the female figure to the guard to Togo to the other guard. The coloring also creates a division between the figures on the bridge and the figures on the green foreground. Togo and the guards dress in the same cool colors – brown, blue, black, white, and mauve. The orange leaves of the tree in the top half of the image help to create the division because the color compliments the shogun’s robes, as well as the warm colors of the bridge. These leaves are even mimicked in the woman’s kimono. Because of an eyeline-match, the gazes of the shogun and Togo also create fierce quick movement between the two, as well as increase tension.

All of the figures can be seen and are large enough to indicate that the eye level is that of a spectator. Yoshitsuya, by employing this eye level, invites the viewer to become a spectator within the image as well. The color of the background is a light blue, placing image in daytime. I think that an appeal to the shogun would be strongest in daylight, in front of the villagers because it would have heightened their morale to have a voice among them, as well as placed pressure on the shogun to reduce the taxation, if he were appealed to in the midst of a crowd of resentful villagers. There is no crowd in the image, but based on the description of the print and the eye level, it seems like the viewer becomes part of a crowd. This event was a very public matter, so although the play makes the plea private, I think that the effectiveness of the image as a representation of the real event is greater if the appeal had an audience.

The perspective of the print is very limited, and so overall, the image is very flat. Overlapping of figures and objects slightly creates depth. Yoshitsuya uses two point perspective to create the bridge, but the lack of background and other elements of Western perspective, such as diminishing the size of objects and decreasing atmospheric clarity, keeps the image flat and relatively two dimensional.

Links and Sources

Kabuki - http://www.kabuki21.com/glossaire_5.php

http://www.kabuki21.com/sakura_giminden.php

Sogo Reido - http://www.city.narita.chiba.jp/english/welcome/s_guide_03_1sogo_reido.html
http://www.chiba-tour.jp/narita/sight/sight_top.html