Once more unto the breach: Samurai warriors and heroes in ukiyo-e masterpiece

Abstract

This book showcases various samurai warriors and heroes, including the Genji and Heike clans (hereditary clan names bestowed by the emperors of the Heian period), samurai warriors of the Sengoku period (a century-long period of political upheaval and warlordism in Japan), the swordsman and poet Miyamoto Musashi, Eight Dog Warriors from the novel 'The Eight Dog Chronicles' written in the Edo period, Jiraiya (the toad-riding Ninja character from Japanese folklore), Forty-seven Ronin, the Chinese hero Guan-Yu, and more. All the illustrations are by legendary ukiyo-e artists such as Hokusai, Hiroshige, Kuniyoshi and Yoshitoshi.