The ghost of Asakura Tōgo

Ichiyūsai Kuniyoshiga I様様様 IThe Kabuki actor Ichikawa Kodanji IV. II様 IIII( 1812-1866) as the ghost of the late Asakura Tōgo in the Kabuki play “Higashiyama sakura sōshi IIII子” performed in the Nakamura theater from the 8th month of 1851. The story of the play is based on a true story that took place in 1644 in the province of Shimosa (now Chiba). Sakura Sōgorō SakSakSakSakSakwas the head of a village exploited by his national prince (Hotta Kozuke). The letters asking for tax relief were ignored, so the village decided to personally submit a petition to the shōgun. Sakura Sōgorō assumed the task of the petitioner, knowing that he would thus violate the prevailing laws. After receiving the petition about the shōgun, the national prince had Sakura Sōgorō and his family executed. Since it was forbidden to present current events on the stage or in the ukiyo-e, one deals with the change of person and place names in order to escape the restrictions of the bakufu. Next to the signature is a stamp in which the characters “shita-uri” (unten-sell) are located. This stamp indicated that the goods were not open or suspended. They had to be stacked under the counter, a form of censorship.