The Poet Fujiwara no Okikaze Passing the Old Pine at Takasago in an Evening Rain, no. 34 from the series The One Hundred Poems

An old man wearing a bamboo hat walks alone, buffeted by wind and rain. He reaches up with his right hand as if a strong wind suddenly threatened to blow his hat away. His left hand holds a lantern, partially covered by the robe that whips around him. The inscription above links this figure with the famous 10th-century poet Fujiwara no Okikaze 藤原興風, known as one of Japan’s Thirty-Six Immortal Poets. His poem about the Takasago pine tree, reprinted on the work and translated nearby, is suggested by the pine in the print. A famous pair of “wedded pines” at Takasago symbolize a long, happy marriage, and were featured in a classic Noh play.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi was a remarkably prolific artist best known for images of warriors and heroic narratives, but also skilled at landscapes and other subjects. He was also very witty, and his work often includes elaborate puns. Here, the strong wind may be a play on the poet’s name, Okikaze, which may be translated as “rising wind.”