Ukiyo-e Prints

浮世絵版画

Port Townsend, Washington

A CLICKABLE

INDEX/GLOSSARY

(Hopefully this will be an ever changing and growing list.)

Hil THRU I

The gold koban coin on a blue ground is being used to mark additions made in June 2008. The red on white kiku mon was used in May 2008.

TERMS FOUND ON THIS PAGE:

Jack Hillier, Hinagatabon, Hi no maru, Hiroshige, Hitodama, Hitotsu-me-kozō,

Hitsu, Ho, George Hoffmann, Hōgu, Hōju, Hōkaburi, Hōki, Hokuei,

  Hōmongi, Hōmyō, Hondawara, Hōnoki, Ho-o, Horagai, Hori,Hori Chō,

Hori Ken, Horimono, Hōrin, Hori Ōta Tashichi,Hori Take,

Hori Uta, Horo,, Horogaya, Hoshi, Hoshi-ami, Hyōshigi, Hotaru,

I, Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII, Ichikawa Danjūrō IX, Ichikawa Ebizō V,
Ichikawa Kodanji IV, Ichikawa Omezō I, Ichimatsu, Ichimura Uzaemon XVII,
Ichinotani futaba gunki, Ichirō, Ichirō Gafu, Ichō, Ikari, Ikkyu, Inazuma, Ine,

Inro, Iori, Irohabiki monchō, Irezumi, Ishi, Ita-bokashi,

Ita-mokuhan, Itomaki, Iwai Hanshiro,

Iwai Kumesaburō II and Iwai Kumesaburō III 

雛形本, 日乃丸, 安藤広重, 蛭子, 人魂, 一つ目小僧, 筆, 帆, 法具, 宝珠, 帚, 北英,

訪問着, 法名, 馬尾藻, 朴の木, 鳳凰, 法螺貝, 彫, 彫長, 彫兼, 彫物, 宝輪,

彫太田多七, 彫竹, 母衣, 母衣蚊帳, 星, 干し網, 蛍, 拍子木, 井, 市川団十郎,

八世代市川団十郎, 九世代市川団十郎, 市川海老蔵(5代目), 市川小団次,

市川男女蔵,  市松, 市村羽左衛門十七代目, 一谷嫩軍記, 一老, 一老画譜,

銀杏, 銀杏紋, 錨, 一休, 稲妻, 稲, 印相, 庵, 刺青 いろは, 石, 石摺絵, (Ita)暈,

板目木版, etc.

TERM/NAME

KANJI/KANA

DESCRIPTION/

DEFINITION/

CATEGORY

Click on the yellow numbers

to go to linked pages.

Hillier, Jack

ジャック.ヒリアー

Author of Art of the Japanese Book.

Born in Fulham, England in 1912 the son of a postman who delivered mail to Sir Edward Burne-Jones (エドワード・バーン＝ジョーンズ) , Rudyard Kipling's (ラドヤード・キップリング) uncle by marriage.  Hillier died in Surrey in 1995. From a poor, but happy family he toyed with the idea of becoming an artist - even learning wood engraving - but decided on a more practical route and took a job with an insurance company. He stayed with them until he was 55. During WWII he applied to the RAF to become a pilot, but was rejected for that position because of his somewhat impaired eyesight. However, he did work as an aircrew instructor and in the signal corps.

In an obituary in The Independent he was referred to as the "... leading authority in Europe on the Japanese woodblock print" and other areas. His interests in the field began in 1947 when he bought a portfolio of Japanese prints - some facsimiles. At that time Japanese studies were probably at their ebb. Hillier realized that he would have to learn Japanese so he studied the Harvard-Yenching Course during his train commutes to and from the office.

In time he was invited by Sotheby's (サザビーズ)to be one of their experts. For more than 25 years while working there he assisted in the development of numerous prominent collections: that of Chester Beatty (チェスター・ビーティー), now bequeathed to the Irish state; the Gale collection in Minneapolis; Ralph Harari's collection; et. al. Hillier's first book on the subject, Japanese Masters of the Colour Print, was published in 1954 followed by many other including works on Harunobu, Hokusai, Utamaro, drawings, paintings, etc.

He was a great scholar and connoisseur who made an incredible addition to the field.

Hinagatabon

雛形本

ひながたぼん

Kimono pattern book(s): We have seen dozens of these which were almost exclusively from the Meiji and Taisho periods. Each page was filled with a typical image: autumn leaves floating on swirling waters; birds in flight; chrysanthemums; etc.

Hinagatabon also referred to "...instruction manuals for builders and artisans..."  These volumes exist all of the way back to the 16th century.

Source: "Patronage and the Building Arts inTokugawa Japan" by Lee Butler

Hi no maru

日乃丸

ひのまる

The Japanese national flag: Generally represented as a red disk on a white field often it is seen on a black field on a fan or ogi. "It is popularly known as the Hinomaru (Sun Flag). The design has been a popular one, although it is not known when it was first used." Supposedly when the Mongols were threatening an invasion of Japan the priest Nichiren gave a rising sun flag to the shogun.

Quote and source: Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan entry by Yukihisa Suzuki  (vol. 5, p. 339)

U. A. Casal in his "Lore of the Japanese Fan"  (Monumenta Nipponica, vol. 16, no. 1/2, 1960, p. 81) spoke of a sun design on Kamakura period (1185-1333: 鎌倉時代 or かまくらじだい) fans:

"A favorite décor was a blazing golden sun on a scarlet ground, an ancient warrior symbol.... Their resplendent colours must well have matched the gorgeous armour and brocades of the Kamakura lords.

There were naturally, some variations in these warrior fans too. A red sun may appear on a black or fully gilded ground, or even more conspiciously on a white one, although white could not be lacquered. Such warrior folding-fans are generally referred to as tessen [鉄扇 or てっせん], 'iron fans'. For ordinary use, however, the warrior had similar fans - also with the sun emblem, and sometimes with the moon and stars on the back - of a black lacquered wood or bamboo frame, known as gunsen [軍扇 or ぐんせん] (war-fan). The martial fans always had eight or ten ribs."

In footnote 30 Casal wrote: "Only at the time of the [Meiji] Restoration [in 1868] was the sun-symbol of Victory transformed into a Japanese national flag of a red sun on a white field. In feudal days any colour combination might be chosen, though red was prevalent, either as 'sun' or as 'field'. The Sun with Rays (Naval flag) did not exist before the Restoration..."

Hiroshige, Ando

安藤広重

安藤広

あんどうひろしげ重

Hiroshige (1797-1858)

Definitely one of the greatest artists of the 19th century, but I am not telling you anything am I?

The memorial portrait of Hiroshige to the left is a detail from a print by Toyokuni III.

Hiruko

蛭子

ひるこ

The leech child

I am currently reading a novel by an important contemporary Japanese writer. (I will leave him unnamed so I don't spoil the book for those of you who haven't read it yet.) In one exotic scene "Suddenly, unfamiliar greasy objects began to rain down from the sky... There weren't any clouds, but things were definitely falling, gradually more and more fell, until before they knew it they were caught in a downpour." It was raining leeches! What struck me most about this passage was not the bizarre imagery, but the mythico-historic link to the Japanese past.

In the Kojiki, the oldest written chronicle of Japanese literature,  the gods Izanagi and Izanami mate, but their first efforts resulted in the leech child "...an amorphous blob, which even at the age three cannot walk.... Realizing that something has gone wrong, abandon the failed offspring in a reed boat onto the ocean and try again." This miscarriage was soon identified with "...failed crops, bad fishing and disorder..."  and outcasts. In time hiruko evolved into Ebisu, one of the Seven Propitious Gods. In fact, Ebisu's name is written with the same kanji characters - 蛭子 - although it is pronounced differently. The connection is unmistakable.

An alternate use of kanji characters - 恵比須 - also is pronounced as Ebisu.

Source of the second group of quotes is from Puppets of Nostalgia by Jane Mari Law (Princeton University Press, 1997.)

Hitodama

人魂

ひとだま

Disembodied soul; supernatural fiery ball: Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary, 1954, p. 445 translates hitodama as "...a jack-o'-lantern; a will-o'-the-wisp; ignis fatuus; a death fire; a fetch candle; ...a wraith; a doubleganger."

The Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan entry by Inokuchi Shoji  (vol. 3, p. 207) describes hitodama as "The spirit that is supposed to depart from the human body at the time of death and afterwards, commonly believed to take the form of a bluish white ball of fire with a tail. Seeing hitodama was traditionally regarded as a premonition of one's own death, although various ways of exorcising them are mentioned in medieval literature. Even today one hears of people who claim to have seen hitodama hovering over rooftops or in graveyards at night. Shooting stars, phosphorescence, and other natural phenomena are sometimes taken for hitodama.

The detail to the left is from a vertical triptych by Kunichika.

The image shown below is a detail from a print by Kunisada showing the ghost of Oiwa with her associated hitodama.

For another related example of free floating flames see our entry on kitsunebi on our Kesa thru Kuruma index/glossary page.

The flame to the left is a detail from a Yoshiiku print.

Hitotsu-me-kozō

一つ目小僧

安ひとつめこぞう重

One-eyed temple monster or goblin.

Hitsu

筆

ひつ

"From the brush of" - a common ending following the artist's signature.  The other most common ending is ga (画).  1

Ho

帆

ほ

Sail crests or mons: "Perhaps the most striking thing about maritime motifs in Japanese design is that they are exceedingly rare." This is what John W. Dower said. But he also added that when there was a net or vessel represented it tended to be something we might notice out of the corner of our eye. Japan was not a maritime state and little emphasis was given this arena. These motifs "...carried comparatively little prestige." Unlike other Japanese terms sailing words seemed to lack the layers of significance and punning found in everything else.

Source and quotes from: The Elements of Japanese Design, by John W. Dower,  p. 121.

John Dower:  ジョン.ヴ.ダワー.

Hoffmann, George

ジョージ.ホフマン

Author of Montaigne's Career 1

Michel Yquem de Montaigne (1533-92):

ミシェル・エケム・ド・モンテーニュ

Hōgu

法具

ほうぐ

Ritual implements of Buddhism such as the kongōsho (vajra) and the horin (wheel of the law).

Hōju

宝珠

ほうじゅ

The jewel motif: Years ago I studied with an expert in Chinese art. He told me that this was the flaming pearl of wisdom that dragons, adult dragons, were forever chasing. (Baby dragons never chased flaming pearls.)

In Japan the term hōju, which can also be pronounced hōshu, translates as jewel.

See also the entry on yakara no tama.

Hōkaburi

ほうかぶリ (?)

Hand towel tied under the chin like a  head kerchief

Hōki

帚

ほうき

Broom: In ancient China the broom came to be identified with insight, wisdom "...and the power to brush away all the dusts of worry and trouble."

"The manifold evil spirits are supposed to be afraid of a broom." de Groot in his Religious System of China (vol. 6, p. 972) states "Many families are in the habit of performing a kind of pretence sweeping with a broom on the last day of the year, rather than intending the removal of evil than that of filth."

Source and quotes from: Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs, by C.A.S. Williams, Castle Books, 1974 edition, pp. 50-51.

Like the Chinese the Japanese saw the broom as an instrument of expelling evil. However, it has another use too: Placing a broom upside down is a sign to a guest that they have overstayed their visit. [My friends have either put on music they thought I would hate or they would change into their jammies.]

In the West it is walking under a ladder or breaking a mirror, but in Japan the simple act of stepping on or over a broom "...is believed to invite a curse or punishment."

"Hoki has also been used as a charm for a safe and easy child delivery in many parts of the country. It is placed upside down at the foot of the mother-to-be in prayer for successful childbirth, as it sweeps away all evil spirits and sickness."

In some locations the broom is offered a bottle of saké until the child is born. Then it - the broom and not the baby - is taken to a shrine and tied to a tree for three days.

Another superstition borrowed from the Chinese was the belief that a broom could keep the dead from moving about on their own.

Source and quotes: Mock Joya's Things Japanese,  the Japanese Times, Inc., 1985 edition, pp. 19-20.

The images to the left are from a print by Yoshitoshi representing Jō and his devoted wife Uba. They represent eternal love and are the subject of one of the Noh plays of Zeami Motokiyo (世阿弥元清 or ぜあみもときよ).

Hokuei

北英

ほくえい

Artist fl. 1829-1837 1

Hōmongi

訪問着

ほうもんぎ

There are contradictory sources on the houmongi, but what else is new? Some say that it is a type of kimono worn by married women while others say that being married is not necessarily a requirement. It is either formal or semi-formal and is often worn when making visits or attending weddings. One source says that the brides 'maids' often wear these.

One distinction does seem to be that this robe generally has an elegant, if understated, continuous flowing design. Very Audrey Hepburnish, but in a Japanese way, of course!

Hōmon 訪問 means 'to visit'. (Like so many specific terms you can find numerous other entries on the Internet if you use alternative, accepted spellings. In this case try 'houmongi'. A suggestion: For those of you who would like to know more or see numerous examples of this type of kimono all you have to do type the entry into Google or cut and paste the kanji or hiragana into the search box. I would suggest doing this even if you don't read Japanese or French or Swahili or Urdu. You will be surprised by what you can pick up simply by looking at more Internet sites. Of course, you have to dig through a lot of c... to find what you want sometimes, but I guarantee it will be worth the effort.

If anyone out there knows anything more specific I would love to hear from you. Also, I would like to find get permission to reproduce an image to illustrate this entry. If you can help there too I would very appreciative.

Hōmyō

法名

ほうみょう

A posthumous Buddhist name given to the dead. It often appears on memorial or death prints (shini-e) dedicated to actors. It is also referred to as a kaimyō (戒名 or かいみょう).

"After the introduction of Buddhism the custom of giving kaimyo, or hōmyo, 'religious names,' to the dead became common. These were inscribed on the ancestral tablets and on the grave-stones, so that rarely were actual personal names to be found in such connexions." By the late 19th to early 20th century this practice was changing to a more Western style with the use of personal given and family names.

Source and quote: Encyclopædia of religion and ethics, edited by James Hastings, published by Charles Scribner's Sons, 1917, p. 168

Another form of posthumous name is the okurina (贈り名 or おくりな)  which "...have been common with the royalty and among the nobility. In the reign of Kotoku (645-654) the posthumous name Jimmu was given to the first sovereign, and since that time the custom has continued until the present time, when the late emperor is known by the posthumous name Meiji Tenno. These names have for the most part been characteristic of the individual or his reign or some local associated with him."

Ibid.

"After the introduction of Buddhism the custom of giving kaimyo, or hōmyo, 'religious names,' to the dead became common. These were inscribed on the ancestral tablets and on the grave-stones, so that rarely were actual personal names to be found in such connexions." By the late 19th to early 20th century this practice was changing to a more Western style with the use of personal given and family names.

Source and quotes: Encyclopædia of religion and ethics, edited by James Hastings, published by Charles Scribner's Sons, 1917, p. 168

Another form of posthumous name is the okurina (贈り名 or おくりな)  which "...have been common with the royalty and among the nobility. In the reign of Kotoku (645-654) the posthumous name Jimmu was given to the first sovereign, and since that time the custom has continued until the present time, when the late emperor is known by the posthumous name Meiji Tenno. These names have for the most part been characteristic of the individual or his reign or some local associated with him."

Ibid.

The hōmyō was given by a Buddhist priest right after a person's death. The name was then inscribed on a wooden memorial tablet or ihai (位牌 or いはい). "From the eighth century it became the almost universal custom to set up boshi 墓誌, or monuments, to mark the position of the grave. These were of all shapes and sizes, and constructed of stone, copper, or other durable material. They bore inscriptions setting forth the name and rank of the deceased; and in some cases words were engraved upon the tablets, eulogistic of the dead.
 

Source and quote: Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, from "Japanese Funeral Rites", by Arthur Hyde Lay, vol. 19, 1891, p. 525

Hondawara

馬尾藻

ホンダワラ

Saragossa or gulfweed. A seaweed which dries to a golden color and was used for ornamental New Year's decorations.

Hōnoki

朴の木

ほおのき

One of several woods used to print woodblocks. Referred to as Magnolia obovata (Thun.) in the West. Often used in modern printmaking for small prints. 1

Hō-ō

鳳凰

ほうおう

The Phoenix is "...used as a symbol of happiness or good fortune..." Like so many other motifs this has a Chinese origin. Its image "...adorns the roofs of many court and other buildings, as well as the mikoshi or portable shrines carried in procession in shrine festivals."

Quoted from: Mock Joya's Things Japanese (pp. 416-17)

The image to the left is from an original mon design book which I own.

Horagai

法螺貝

ほらがい

Conch shell trumpet: Used in India as a military tool prior to the introduction of Buddhism. For that reason it became a symbol of authority. With Buddhism it became "...an icon of spreading the Law.... As such, the conch was counted as one of the eight symbols said to be found on Buddha's footprint." In Japan it was associated with the Senju or 1,000-armed Kannon and was closely linked to the itinerant monks who were known for their esoteric practices. As in ancient India it was adopted as a military signaling device.

Baird also notes that Benkei is often seen in association with the conch shell.

Source and quotes: Symbols of Japan: Thematic Motifs in Art and Design, by Merrily Baird, Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., 2001, p. 128.

"A horn formed by attaching a simple mouthpiece to the end of a conch shell. Of Indian origin, the instrument diffused along with Buddhism throughout Southeast Asia and East Asia, entering Japan via Korea in the Nara period (710-794). It was employed in Buddhist ceremonies and as one of the religious accoutrements other ascetic Shugendō practitioners. The horagai was also used to sound the signal for advance and retreat in premodern warfare."

Quote and source: Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan entry by Misumi Haruo  (vol. 3, p. 227)

Note that the image to the left is a detail from a print by Yoshitoshi showing Hideyoshi blowing the conch trumpet to let his troops know that it is time to begin the attack at Shizugatake (賤ヶ岳 or しずがたけ).

In China the conch shell was also a "...one of the insignia of royalty, and the symbol of a prosperous voyage, while it is also regarded as an emblem of the voice of Buddha preaching..."

Quote from: Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs, by C.A.S. Williams, Castle Books, 1974 edition, p. 83.

"Like Buddha's spiral curls... these shells through ages innumerable, and over many lands, were holy things because of the whorls moving from left to right, some mysterious sympathy with the Sun in his daily course through Heaven."  Ibid.

The conch-shell trumpet is often mounted with bronze or silver. They were "...also used as fog-horns by fishing boats..." Ibid.

Hori

彫

ほり

Carver

"Usually the artist himself did not keep an eye upon all the stages of the printing process and allowed printers and carvers to experiment, which sometimes resulted in new technical achievements. It took about four years to become a skilled printer and at least twice as much before a carver could call himself a specialist. When he reached a high level he put his qualities at the service of the best artists and publishing houses."

Quote from: Ōsaka Kagami, by Jan van Doesburg, published by Huys den Esch, 1985, p. 6.

"Many designers in the history of ukiyo-e were amateur artists, but the engravers were skilled professional craftsmen who underwent a long period of apprenticeship and training before they became masters and were allowed to engrave heads, faces, and major outlines of the figures in prints."

There were so many different carving styles that prints by one artist carved by various engravers often looked like prints by different people. "Some print designers were aware of this issue, although they rarely seem to have had much choice of their engravers." That is why Hokusai wrote one of his publishers requesting that he use a carver named Egawa Tomekichi who he "...could trust to engrave the faces in his pictures the way they were drawn..." and not end up looking like so many other Utagawa heads.

Source and quote: Japanese Woodblock Prints: The Ainsworth Collection, by Roger Keyes, 1984, p. 104.

"...it is certain that some engraving was undertaken by families who worked in their own ateliers and contracted with individual publishers, these engravers often being among the most skilful..."

Less skilled carvers often lived with the publishers and were merely house employees. "Volker has cited one or two instances where the engraver and publisher are the smae person and this may have been more common than is at present believed but the evidence is very scanty." Some carvers were sued for publishing on their own.

Engravers did not just 'copy' slavishly, but often improvised or changed features or elements. The artists did not have direct contact with the carvers and had to convey their wishes through the publishers.

"...it took four years to be an artist, three years apprenticeship to be a printer but ten years to be a first class engraver."

Source and quotes from: The Prints of Japan, by Frank A. Turk, Arco Publications, 1966, pp. 59-60.

"Anecdotes by contemporary blockcarvers about 'the old days' suggest that under the master-apprentice family workshop system, a youngster would start his training to be a nishiki-e blockcarver by cutting lettering. He then moved up to written characters of the prompt books used by the chanters in Kabuki or puppet theaters. From there he learned to remove the excess areas of the color woodblocks... Finally he practiced cutting the outlines for less important parts like the costumes, hands and feet. After more practice only one of the most talented would come to carve facial outlines, until finally he could try the finest carving needed for the elaborate hair-styles of the finishing block." By the end of World War II a carver would have to be 40 to 50 years old before he could tackle the most difficult carving assignments.

Source and quotes: Color Woodblock Printing: The Traditional Method of Ukiyo-e, by Margaret Miller  Kanada, Shufunotomo Co., Ltd., 1989, p. 29.

Hori Chō

彫長

ほり.ちょう

Carver's identifying seal. 1, 2

We know that this carver, Katada  Chojirō, engraved blocks for prints bearing the names of Toyokuni III, Kunisada II, Kunichika and Chikanobu.

Active as early as 1861 to as late as 1881.

He carved for Etsu Ka, Hayashi-ya Shōgorō, Sano-ya Tomigorō Wakasa-ya Jingorō, Tsujioka-ya Bunsuke, Izutsu-ya, Enshuya Hikobei, Daikoku-ya Kichinotsuke (?), Daikoku-ya Kinzaburō (?), Tsunoi, Hanabuki-ya Bunzō (?) and 村山源兵衛 (as yet untranslated) and several others who have yet to be identified.

Note: One of the things which has always puzzled me is the role of the master carver in the creation of ukiyo prints. So, I started a search on this particular carver and found a range of dates when his name appeared on the finished prints, a few of the publishing houses he worked for or with and the names of four of the artists he is known to have helped produce.

Hori Ken

彫兼

ほり.けん

Carver's seal. 1

Horimono

彫物

ほりもの

A term for tattoo which is also called irezumi.

To the left (top) is a detail from a print by Kuniyoshi. It represents Kyūmonryū Shishin from the Suikoden series. Below is a clearer detail of a dragon's head and claws.

We have 3 pages devoted to tattoos. Below are direct links to those page.

BAD BOYS AND THEIR TATTOOS - page 1

BAD BOYS AND THEIR TATTOOS - page 2

BAD BOYS AND THEIR TATTOOS - page 3

Hōrin

宝輪

ほうりん

One of the symbols used by Mikkyō (密教 or みっきょう) or esoteric Buddhism it represents the wheel of the law. The wheel stands for the continuance of existence  through birth, death, rebirth, death, rebirth, death ad nauseum. Only the attainment of enlightenment ends the cycle. The  kongōsho or vajra is another of the symbols.

Hori Ōta Tashichi

彫太田多七

ほり.おおた.たしち

Carver's seal. 1

Hori Take

彫竹

ほり.たけ

Carver's seal for Yokegawa Takejirō often seen on late Toyokuni III prints. 1, 2

Hori Uta

Carver's seal. 1

Horo

母衣

ほろ
 

A wicker contraption covered by a thin silk skin worn by warriors and military messengers. Although it gives the impression of movement in ukiyo prints because it looks like a billowing cape it actually is made to function as protection from arrows shot toward a soldier's back.

Note the billowing cloth behind the warrior on the left. This is an isolated detail from a print by Shunshō.

The graphic on the bottom shows the basic shell design of the horo sans threaded netting and silk covering. This image was created for us by David Wilcox (デイビッド.ウイルコックス). Thanks David.

Horogaya

母衣蚊帳

ほろがや

A mosquito net placed over a bamboo frame that was used to protect children. Built along the same lines as the horo seen in the entry shown immediately above this one. There is a wonderful Utamaro print showing a young mother breast feeding her child under such a netting while "...an elder sister peers in from outside the net."

Source and quote: The Passionate Art of Kitagawa Utamaro, published by the British Museum Press, London, 1995, Text volume, p. 155.

The detail of the print to the left by Kunisada was obviously influenced by the virtuosity of the Utamaro precedent.

Hoshi

星

ほし

Hoshi, i.e.,  star motifs: If I could make a game of this I would show you the two images on the left and ask you to guess what they represent. Then I would show you the correct answer on another page. But that is a lot of work. Personally I doubt that many of you would guess that they are variations on star motifs. I know that I wouldn't get it right. But that is what they are.

Dower has quite a bit to say about these patterns noting that the Japanese of the Nara and Heian periods were quick to accept Chinese concepts of astrology and geomancy. "Each person had his own particular guardian star, determined by his date of birth. Similarly, certain stars and constellations had their own particular associations and were believed capable of existing protective influence."*  Scrolls, clothing and the carriages of the aristocracy were often decorated with these circular patterns. (Remember there are many more variations on this motif than the two shown here.)

Because of the auspicious nature of star symbolism quite a few warrior clans adopted this motif as their crest.

"A depiction of three stars...was associated with Orion [オライオン] and called the 'three warriors' or 'stars of the general' in both Chinese and Japanese. In a similar manner, seven or more stars were associated with worship of Ursa Major...[ 大熊座 or おおぐまざ]"

Source and quotes from: The Elements of Japanese Design, by John W. Dower,  p. 43.

*Above I quoted Dower stating that each person had a guardian star based on his/her date of birth. That is not dissimilar to the worship of patron saints among the Catholics. Recently I was talking to my friend Scott Alexander Jones (スコット.アレクサンダー.ジョーンズ) and we were talking about names. When I mentioned that I liked his middle name he told me that it didn't come from Alexander the Great, but from someone named St. Alexander. Scott is only twelve right now and didn't know which St. Alexander it was, but he knew that it was one of them. Although four Alexanders have their feast days in October none of them line up exactly with his birthday.

Hoshi-ami

干し網(?)

ほしあみ

Fishnet motif

Hotaru

蛍

ほたる

Firefly: Merrily Baird in her Symbols of Japan: Thematic Motifs in Art and Design (pp. 110-111) notes that "As early as the Nara period..." fireflies were a poetic symbol for passionate love. During the Heian period the nobility went on outings to view and capture these insects on warm summer nights. "From the Chinese, the Japanese appear to have derived the custom of viewing fireflies as souls of the dead..." The ones at the Uji River near Kyoto even came to represent the deceased warriors of the opposing armies of the struggle between the Minamoto and Taira clans during the 12th century.  "Given it's size..." Baird concludes "...the firefly does not lend itself to solo treatment on a large scale."

The detail to the left is from a print by Yoshitoshi.

The image to the left is a detail of a print with certain figures by Toyokuni III, like the one shown above and the night background by Hiroshige.

The bijin shown here appears to be carrying a cage filled with hotaru. She could have caught them herself as seen in an early print by Harunobu

or she could have bought them from an hotaru-uri or firefly merchant. Such hawkers are mentioned in J. E. De Becker's

 Yoshiwara: The Nightless City (p. 14) as hanging out during summer months in the Yoshiwara.

The detail shown above is from a print by Kuniaki.

These two details are both from prints by Kiyochika.

The one below is from "Tennōji-shita Koromogawa"

(天王寺下衣川 or てんのうじしたころもがわ)

Koromo River below Tennōji Temple, 1880

The following entry on 'firefly viewing' is by Inokuchi Shōji. Hotarugari (蛍狩り or ほたるがり) originally was a pastime for Heian aristocracy (794-1185), but by the Edo period (1600-1868) it was popular among all groups. "Since the number of fireflies in Japan has decreased because of pollution and agricultural chemicals, fireflies are raised for hotels and large restaurants, which sponsor firefly displays to attract guests."

A wonderful web site run by the University of Virginia notes the use of pesticides as a major problem in the decline of fireflies. The pesticides kill kawanina (川蜷 or かわにな) or river snails off which firefly larvae feed.

In Mock Joya's Things Japanese  (Japanese Times, Inc., 1985 edition, pp. 124-125) children are described hunting for fireflies with fans and bamboo branches. When caught they were often put in cages covered in gauze. "In cities, hotaru are sold in cages at street stalls." "Hotaru-gassen [蛍合戦 or ほたるがっせん] or firefly battles are one of the most wonderful summer sights. Huge masses of fireflies come from different directions and mingle in confusion as they come together, making hillsides and streams bright with tiny yellowish lights."

There is a legend of an extremely pious, but poor old farmer named Kanshiro who makes a religious pilgrimage every year. However, he rarely travels during the summer months because he generally suffers from dysentery at that time. Nevertheless, despite all of his infirmities Kanshiro makes the journey every year. As long as he can get around he will pay homage to the gods. Finally he feels that this will be his last circuit and that he must go even though it is summertime. His neighbors raise a considerable fund to help him on his way. After a few days his old ailments strike again and he has to find a place to rest for a few days. Because he is unclean he feels that he cannot enter any shrines and that even the money he has been given is now tainted. Desperate to rest up he stops at a cheap inn and asks the owner, Jimpachi, to help him back to good health and to keep the money safe for him until that time. After several days he sets out again, but finds the inn owner has replaced his purse of coins with stones. Kanshiro returns to the inn and confronts the owner who denies the theft and with the help of others beats the old man to a pulp. Despite this the old man makes his way to Ise even though he has had to crawl and beg the whole way. By the time he returns home he is completely wasted. Some of the people who gave him the money believe his story. Others do not. He sells all his property to replace the funds which were stolen. When that is done the old man sets out again to scold the owner of the inn who now is living in considerable wealth. Once more the inn owner denies the charge of theft and drives the old man away.  Driven by the authorities from the town because he is now a beggar the pious, old farmer dies, but not before he curses the now wealthy thief. Soon thereafter the inn owner falls ill and takes to his sick bed. A few days later a swarm of fireflies rise from the Kanshiro's grave and surround Jimpachi's mosquito-curtain. They are unrelenting trying to force their way in. Even their light dazzles the sick man. Jimpachi's neighbors try to kill the fireflies until they realize that each one they eliminate is replaced by a new one streaming directly from the old man's grave. The effort is futile and probably unwise. As soon as Jimpachi dies the fireflies disappear.

Source: Ancient Tales and Folklore of Japan, by Richard Gordon Smith, Bracken Books, 1986 edition, first published in 1918, pp. 282-86.

Hyōshigi

拍子木

ひょうしぎ

Wooden clappers used in kabuki theater "...for sound effects such as running feet and clashing swords."

Quoted from: The Actor's Image: Print Makers of the Katsukawa School, Timothy Clark, Osamu Ueda and Donald Jenkins, Princeton University Press, 1994, p. 264.

"Another characteristic kabuki sound that may be classified with ceremonial music is the wooden clappers known as  hyōshigi (or simply as ki). These not only mark the beginning of a play, but at times - as wehn they are beaten while the curtain is being drawn - become almost an integral part of the production... [or]...to point up the moment when an actor strikes a mie."

Quote from: Kabuki, by Masakatsu Gunji, published by Kodansha International, 1985, p. 51.

"Wooden clappers (hyōshigi) are one of the things peculiar to Kabuki. It is simply a matter of banging together two sticks of white oak, but one side of each is carved so that it has a convex shape. These two sides are banged together, and the accepted view is that the best sound is only produced if they are cut back form the same piece of wood."

Quote from: Japan on Stage: Japanese Concepts of Beauty as Shown in the Traditional Theatre, by Kawatake Toshio, published by 3A Corporation, Tokyo, 1990, p. 115.

The image to the left of the fan is a detail from a print by Kunisada from ca. 1826.

 I (pronounced ē)

井

い

A well motif used in fabric designs and family crests or mons. This pattern is also referred to as an igeta (井桁 or いげた) or well-curb, i.e., the border around the mouth of a well. John W. Dower also notes that it can be called an izutsu (井筒 of いづつ).  He added: "The well crib was one of the most popular motifs in Japanese heraldry and stands as an excellent example of the virtuosity of Japanese artists in elaborating upon a simple basic theme. Unlike many other motifs, it does not appear to have conveyed several layers of meaning, but was selected primarily for its simple beauty, and for denotative purposes. The latter function derived from the fact that a great variety of Japanese surnames contain the ideograph for i..."

Quoted from: The Elements of Japanese Design p. 128.

市川団十郎

いちかわ.だんじゅうろう

Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII

八世代市川団十郎

ばちせだ.いちかわ.だんじゅうろう

Popular Kabuki actor (1823-54) who committed suicide at the height of his popularity. The son of Danjuro VII. 1, 2

Ichikawa Danjūrō IX

九世代市川団十郎

いちかわ.だんじゅうろう

Actor 1839-1903 1

Ichikawa Ebizō V

市川海老蔵(5代目)

いちかわ.えびぞう

Actor 1791-1859. He also performed under the name Danjuro VII. The father of Danjuro VIII - see above.

Ichikawa

Kodanji IV

市川小団次

いちかわ.こだんじ

Kabuki actor 1812-66. 1

Ichikawa Omezō I

市川男女蔵

いちかわ.おめぞう

Kabuki actor  1781-1833. 1

Ichimatsu

市松

いちまつ

A checkered pattern. Also referred to as ishi-datami (石畳 or いしだたみ) which literally means 'paving stones'.

Ichimura Uzaemon XVII

市村羽左衛門十七代目

いちむら.うざえもん

じゅうしちだいめ

Actor - Born 1916 1

Ichinotani futaba gunki

一谷嫩軍記

いちたに.ふたばぐんき

Kabuki play: "Chronicle of the battle of Ichinotani" 1

Ichirō

一老

いちろう

One of Gakutei's art names

Ichirō Gafu

一老画譜

いちろうがふ

"Ichiro's Picture Album" (see listing above)

Ichō

銀杏

いちょう

Ginko: The leaf of this tree is often related to female fertility. It's "...golden colour brings good fortune, and... is therefore kept in a woman's chest of drawers."

But the most remarkable feature of the gingko tree and hence its association with female fecundity is due to a rather strange aspect of its growth. "Trunk and branches produce queer pendent overgrowths which look like woman's breasts; it is, therefore, a 'milk-tree', a tree of progeny."

Quotes from: U. A. Casal, "Lore of the Japanese Fan", Monumenta Nipponica, vol. 16, no. 1/2, 1960, pp. 84-85.

The images shown to the left and below are used courtesy of Shu Suehiro at http://www.botanic.jp/index.htm.

Ichō mon

銀杏紋

いちょう.もん

Ginko crest: Often used as a decorative motif. Brought to Japan from China this tree dates back several hundred million years. For whatever reasons, symbolic or because of its beauty and uniqueness, it can frequently be found at temples and shrines and was selected to border the moat surrounding the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

Long before there was that famous Superman question - you know, the one about a bird or a plane - there was the ginko/bird. The crest shown to the left at the top of this section is a wonderful example of Japanese creativity. Someone, i.e., a Japanese 'designer' must have watched a ginko leaf falling and thought - in Japanese of course - "That looks a lot like a swooping bird." Ergo this particular crest.

Ikari

錨

いかり

An anchor. There are multiple variations on the anchor for different family crests or mons. The image to the left below is a detail from a Yoshiiku triptych showing one small area of a robe of a courtesan decorated with an anchor.

Ikkyu

一休

いっきゅう

Zen priest - poet and thinker 1394-1481 1

Inazuma

稲妻

いなずま

A flash of lightning. Often used as a mon or crest in any one of a number of diverse variations. The kanji can also be vocalized as 'inaduma' or いなづま. 1

Ine

稲

いね

A rice plant motif. There is hardly anything which could have a greater significance to the Japanese. Staff of life, the measure of one's wealth, religious emblem - it covered it all in the most positive ways. The importance of the rice farmer in Japan even today should give one an indication of the overriding esteem in which the plant is held.

Inrō

印籠

いんろう

Inrō: Literally seal + basket. Isn't it odd that in the whole world of ukiyo prints inrō are hardly ever shown. In fact, the large image to the left from a book illustration by Toyokuni I dating from the early 19th century is the only one I can think of. Perhaps they show up in certain surimono, but in general they are almost non-existent. Of course, this is not the case in the real world. Inrō have been a hot-market item for the last fifty years or so. Anyone familiar with Japanese objets d'art knows what these are. ¶ Kimonos didn't have pockets and people needed a way to carry their medicines, inks for writing or cosmetics for beautification. There were pouches which could be carried, but the inrō were far less intrusive. ¶ However, originally they served a different function: As the kanji suggests they were used to carry one's personal seal and seal-paste so that their mark could be affixed to documents. "Their decoration encompasses in miniature virtually the entire range of lacquering styles and techniques current during the period. The rich variety of themes and styles among inrō reflects their importance as an emblem of the taste, status, and wealth of the owner. ¶ Inrō may have one or more compartments surmounted by a lid. The usual shape has a rectangular face and a flattened, elliptical cross-section, which hangs conveniently close to the body when suspended from the obi. Cord-channels run vertically through all the sections of an inrō, so that the sections are held in place by a silk cord threaded through all the sections. The ends of the cord are passed through a bead, then secured to a toggle, usually a miniature carving, known as a netsuke."

Quote from: Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan entry by Ann Yonemura  (vol. 3, p. 313)