Nakamura Fukusuke I as Asahina Tōbei: A Modern Water Margin by Toyokuni III

Nakamura Fukusuke I as Asahina Tōbei

Utagawa Toyokuni III (Utagawa Kunisada) | 1858 (Ansei 5) | Ōban nishiki-e from Tōsei Suikoden (当世好男子伝, A Modern Water Margin)

This print portrays Nakamura Fukusuke I as the Osaka chivalrous figure Asahina Tōbei. Its inscription compares Tōbei to Lu Zhishen (Kashō Rōchishin), the Flower Monk of the Chinese novel Water Margin. The work belongs to a nine-sheet series that reimagines popular Japanese figures through the heroes of that story. 🎭

A Hero Recast through the Water Margin

The series brings together kabuki stardom and the Chinese tale's larger-than-life outlaws. Here, a recognizable actor embodies a Japanese character who is compared with Lu Zhishen. The result is a playful mitate: a visual parallel between two storytelling traditions. 🐉

Cherry Blossoms and Cranes

Tōbei bares one shoulder, revealing a vivid cherry-blossom tattoo across his shoulder and arm. His bright red robe carries cranes amid waves, standing out against the dark background. The contrast gives the portrait its theatrical force and makes costume and tattoo central to the character's identity. 🌸

About the Artist

Utagawa Toyokuni III, also known as Utagawa Kunisada, was a leading artist of actor prints in nineteenth-century Japan. This 1858 sheet shows how he combined an actor's image with a popular literary comparison. 🎴

Explore more stories behind Japanese woodblock prints at Atelier UKIYO.