Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年) (artist 04/30/1839 – 06/09/1892)
Hakoōmaru (箱王丸) and Hachiman Shichirō (八幡七郎) from the series Tales of the Floating World in Eastern Brocade (Azuma nishiki ukiyo kōdan - 東錦浮世稿談)
1867
9.5 in x 14.25 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese woodblock print
Signed: Ikkaisai Yoshitoshi ga
一魁斎芳年画
Publisher: Ōmiya Kyūjirō
(Marks 415 - seal 30-034)
Museum für angewandte Kunst, Vienna
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
National Institute of Japanese Literature
Ritsumeikan University Hakoōmaru (箱王丸) was the youthful name of Soga no Gorō Tokimune (曾我五郎時致). Ichimanmaru, his younger brother, grew up to be Soga no Jurō.
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In the noh revenge play 'Mochizuki', the villain has stopped at an inn along his journey. He had killed his cousin during an argument, whether by accident or intentionally doesn't matter. The dead man's retainer, wife and son all want revenge. They all end up at the same inn at the same time. Michael Watson in his 2021 essay 'Mochizuki: History and Context' noted on page 43:
"Before the woman’s performance, there is a revealing exchange between the waki, ai (the kyōgen actor), and kokata, with messages being relayed through the ai. In all versions but [one], the kokata announces that the song deals with Ichiman and Hakoō who kill their father’s killer. As we soon hear, the song does not describe the accomplishment of the blood revenge by the two brothers—this lies long in the future—but rather describes how strongly the desire for revenge was felt by the brothers when just three and five years old."
Later Wason notes:
"Ichiman and Hakoō are the childhood names of Soga Jūrō Sukenari and his younger brother Soga Gorō Tokimune, the focus of many tales connected with a famous historical revenge. In 1193, the brothers succeeded in avenging themselves on the man who killed their father in 1176, when they were children. The killer was their father’s cousin as is the case in Mochizuki. The childhood episode that is narrated in this play is not found in the existing tale (Soga monogatari, The Tale of the Soga [Brothers]) or in any of the many nō plays about two brothers. The tale narrated by the tsure is effective, building up sympathy for the plight of the two children before describing an incident that occurs in their private shrine (jibutsudō) where the three-year-old Hakoō hears the name of the principal image (honzon), a scowling figure with sword and rope, and thinks it is the same as father’s killer, Kudō. The image is not of Kudō but rather Fudō, the divine “Immovable” Wisdom King (Fudō Myōō, Skt. Akala). Hakoō draws his sword and is about to behead the statue when his elder brother stops him. Sheathing his sword, he begs forgiveness of the holy figure."
In this print by Yoshitoshi Hakoōmaru is strangling his real enemy while staring at the statue of Fudō Myōō. We don't see Hakoōmaru's brother or his sword, but we know that they are there as background elements to this story.
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"Rough tales of the floating world told on eastern brocades (Azuma nishiki ukiyo kōdan) is a complex series in its content and in the interpretation of the meaning of the series title. In the past, little effort has been made to further our understanding of the term kōdan (稿談) in the title which, when written with different homophonic characters, refers to the tradition of story telling (講談). 'Story telling' is a central element in the set, since the series title in each print is followed by the name of a well-known raconteur (kōdan-shi) from the late Edo and early Meiji periods. The character used for kō in the title kōdan connotes 'rough', 'sketchy' or 'unpolished', as in a 'rough manuscript' or 'rough version'."
Quoted from: Yoshitoshi: Masterpieces from the Ed Freis Collection, page 89.
"This set was issued from 9/1867-2/1868. Forty-five designs from this series are presently known... The set is unusual for its collaboration between seven different publishers. It is quite rare and was never re-published." (Ibid.) [The choice of bold type is ours.]
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The text reads: 河津かはつが胤たねの蝌斗子たまじやくし。箱根はこねの湖水こすいに成長ひとゝなり。手足てあしの生しやうするころよりも。父ちゝの仇あだたる蒼蛇くちなはを睍ねらふ宿意しゆくい の失うせやらぬは。彼かの合戦たゝかひをいどむに似にたり。勇勢ゆうせいすこぶる 兄あににこへ猛気もうきおさ／＼父祖ふそにおとらず。敵てきの刺客しかく 八幡やわたの七郎。箱王丸はこわうまるが行中きやうちうをうたんとせしを そが孝道かうだうにかんたんして。却かへつて箱王はこわうに 討うたれたり 填詞 仮名垣魯文記
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The text is by Kanagaki Robun (仮名垣魯文: 1829-94). This author's words are also found on prints by two other artists in the Lyon Collection: Yoshiiku and Kunisada.
Ōmiya Kyūjirō (近江屋久次郎) (publisher)
Kanagaki Robun (仮名垣魯文) (author)
Soga brothers (曾我兄弟) (author)