Yoshitoshi, A Ghost Story in Yotsuya

Notes: This scene depicts a Oiwa in human form, cradling her young son. The subtle foreshadowing takes the form of a sash that rears up like a snake. The threatening image is an omen for the later suffering that is to befall her. Oiwa’s husband’s lust for another woman drives him to poison her, so that he can be free to marry his new love interest. Ghosts stories were popular in Japan. People liked to gather by candlelight and tell scary tales. When a legend was finished, one candle was blown out and the next person began. When Yoshitoshi created 100 ghosts’ stories, he used this tradition. Twenty-six selected designs and a title page were published in 1865. First editions sold out immediately, because Yoshitoshi had become a famous artist by the end of his career. The new forms of 36 ghosts were Yoshitoshi’s last important series. The woodblocks were made after Japanese and Chinese stories. Many pupils assisted him during the complicated preparation. Circa twelve blocks were carved per design and separately used for each color or special effect. The prints were published from 1889 until 1892.