47 Mizuno Toshikata 1866 – 1908 Kojima Takanori before the Cherry Tree

Japan, August 1888

This dramatic print by Mizuno Toshikata from the series Kyōdō risshi no motoi (Instructive Models of Lofty Ambition) illustrates a famous episode from the classic historical epic, the Taiheiki. It depicts the devoted daimyo Kojima Takanori (d. 1358) in a profound moment of loyalty to the deposed Emperor Go-Daigo (1288–1339). In 1331, when the Hōjō family sent the Emperor into exile, Takanori disguised himself as a peasant and tracked him. Penetrating the grounds of the inn where the Emperor was held under guard at night, Takanori carved a classical Chinese poem onto the trunk of a cherry tree to encourage his sovereign. The poem, visible on the tree in the composition, compares the Emperor's plight to that of the King of Yue, who was ultimately saved by his loyal retainer. The composition masterfully captures the tension and resolve of the kneeling Takanori under the moonlight, with fallen cherry blossoms symbolizing transience. The scene is accompanied by extensive calligraphic text in a scroll-like cartouche detailing the story. Mizuno Toshikata, a pupil of the celebrated Yoshitoshi, contributed a total of 16 designs to this prestigious series.