Yoshitoshi's Moonlit Masterpiece: Fujiwara no Yasumasa Plays the Flute by Moonlight
If you're looking to understand one of the most celebrated works in Japanese woodblock printing, you might start with Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's 1882 triptych, “Fujiwara no Yasumasa Plays the Flute by Moonlight”. This masterpiece not only showcases Yoshitoshi's technical brilliance but also represents the culmination of a visual tradition that spans multiple artists and decades.
The print depicts a night scene on the desolate Ichihara Moor. On the left panel, a full moon glows behind wispy dark clouds.
While in the center, Yasumasa dominates the composition, walking toward us as he plays his flute. The wind blows his robes and the tall susuki (pampas grass).
Crouching in the grass and creeping into the center panel is the bandit Yasusuke, his right hand on his sword, poised to strike.
The scene is masterfully composed, with the dark gray and blue background heightening the drama and contrasting beautifully with the vivid orange and blue clothing of the figures.
The Legend Behind the Image
Yasumasa was a real historical figure – a renowned aristocrat, musician, and poet of the Heian period, about a thousand years ago.
According to legend, one night he was walking home through the Ichihara Moor, playing his flute, unaware that the bandit Yasusuke was lying in wait to rob him of his fancy winter clothes. But the flute music so enchanted the bandit that he couldn't bring himself to attack. Instead, he followed Yasumasa all the way home. When Yasumasa noticed him, he offered the bandit a gift of clothing.
Yoshitoshi captures this suspenseful encounter perfectly: a lonely, moonlit moor, a nobleman lost in his music, and a dangerous figure lurking at his side, ready – but unable – to strike.
A Visual Tradition
This wasn't the first time this story had been illustrated. The artistic lineage stretches back decades, with each artist bringing their own interpretation to this moonlit encounter.
The visual tradition begins with a print designed in 1828 by Yashima Gakutei from the series “Tales Gleaned from the Uji Counselor”. This composition sets the stage for future versions because it establishes all the important elements we see in later iterations.
In 1845, Utagawa Kuniyoshi – who would later become Yoshitoshi's teacher—created his version for the series “Stories of Remarkable Persons of Loyalty and High Reputation”.
For a different perspective on the scene, Kuniyoshi produced another interpretation in 1852 for his “69 Post Stations of the Kisokaido” series.
Yoshitoshi himself first approached this story in 1868 (about 15 years before his famous triptych) with a work titled “Autumn Moon” (Below).
The work is similar in design, yet very different in feel. There's so much detail and color in the background that it detracts from the figures.
The 1882 Masterpiece and Its Cultural Impact
The story gets particularly interesting in 1882, when there was a government-sponsored exhibit of modern Japanese painting. Yoshitoshi entered a wonderful painting into the competition.
It didn't win a prize, but it was popular enough for Yoshitoshi to refresh his vision and produce his famous triptych. The print was such a hit that a kabuki play of the story was created, starring the top kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjuro IX as Yasumasa depicted below.
The print’s popularity led to a kabuki adaptation starring Ichikawa Danjuro IX as Yasumasa, and the story was later featured on a parade float at Hie Shrine’s Sanno Festival. Historical accounts note that Danjuro IX supplied the costumes for the life-sized plaster figures, while Yoshitoshi painted them, designed the attendants’ robes, and rode at the front of the float with his students.
Danjuro IX later purchased Yoshitoshi’s painting, which changed hands over time and sold for $175,000 in 2004. In addition to the main triptych, Yoshitoshi also produced a related silk painting with ink and gold, originally mounted as a hanging scroll, though its date is uncertain.
Other Interpretations
In 1883, Kunichika created a triptych of the kabuki play featuring Danjuro IX – including a curious figure on the right performing under a bull hide.
That same year, Chikanobu produced his version of the kabuki play (Below).
(Below) The artist Adachi Ginko designed his interpretation in 1884 for the series “Difficult to Distinguish between Good and Evil”.
In 1884, Yoshitoshi reissued his 1868 triptych with a changed color scheme to focus more emphasis on the characters and less on the background.
In 1888, Yoshitoshi published his amazing “100 Aspects of the Moon” series, which included a print titled “Moon of the Moor”.
In 1889, the artist Migita Toshihide created a wonderful portrait of Yasumasa playing the flute.
In 1893, Toyohara Kunichika depicted the great kabuki actor Onoe Kikugoro in the role of Yasumasa in his series “The One Hundred Roles of Onoe Baiko”.
And in 1894, Toshihide – who was a student of Yoshitoshi – produced his version for the series "A Selection of 36 Heroic Poems".
For those seeking a more humorous take, there's always Hiroshige's 1854 version from his series “Comic Warriors for Children: Fujiwara no Yasumasa Farting at his Assailant".
The story of Yasumasa and the bandit has inspired dozens of artistic interpretations across multiple generations of ukiyo-e masters. From Yoshitoshi's atmospheric 1882 masterpiece to the theatrical kabuki adaptations and festival floats it inspired, this moonlit encounter continues to captivate collectors and enthusiasts today.
We still see this triptych come up for auction every few months or so, but Mie Gallery has yet to own one.