Courageous Warrior Yotsuguruma Ichidaiki
Tatsugoro Nagashima
Utagawa Yoshitora
1880
A Japanese Book titled Courageous Warrior Yotsuguruma Ichidaiki (侠勇四ツ車一代記), illustrated by Tatsugoro Nagashima (上 永島辰五郎), Utagawa Yoshitora (歌川 芳虎), and published by Tadabei Hasegawa (長谷川忠兵衛). Novels like this one would have been printed in episodes and sold individually thus this book is only a small part of the whole story, much like today’s comics and manga.
The cover of the book is printed in the traditional Japanese woodblock technique and depicts the folk hero and protagonist of the story Yotsuguruma Ichidaiki, holding a ladder and table. Inside the book, prints are also included but in monochrome black to illustrate scenes of the story.
The image on the cover was appropriated by Yoshitora from Kuniyoshi Utagawa’s series The Sixty-nine Post Stations of the Kisokaido Road print number 59, Station: Sekigahara, originally showing sumo wrestlers Hanaregoma Chôkichi and Nuregami Chôgorô in combat.
It is possible that object information will be updated as new research findings are discovered. Please email kentonicollection@gmail.com if you can improve this record.