Tsuba Kodōgu Gadai Jiten

INDEX
Numata Kenji
鐔・小道具画題事典
[Tsuba Kodōgu Gadai Jiten]
Tōkyō: Yūzankaku Shuppan, 1967

The 3 volumes of the "Picture Encyclopedia of Tsuba and Small Metal

Fittings" offer a wonderful collection of subjects from Japanese and Far
East artistic tradition. The collection is presented in no order, so the
relevant information have to be reached through the index. The present
compilation aims to substitute the books' index for Western people with
limited knowledge in the Japanese language.

The short explanation in English for each entry provide some hints for
keyword searching, but has not been translated from the text.

Mauro Piantanida January 2020

 Page
七夕 Tanabata 1.2
Festival in the seventh month, also known as the Star Festival (Hoshi matsuri). It celebrates the meeting of
the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively). Girls used to wish
for better sewing and craftsmanship, and boys wished for better handwriting; the custom was to use dew left
on mulberry leaves to create the ink used to write wishes.

許由・巣父 Kyoyū Sōho 1.4

Two legendary Chinese scholar'hermits. Kyoyū (Xu You in Chinese) is depicted while "washing out" his
ears' contents in a waterfall. Sōho (Qao Fu in Chinese) is depicted removing his ox from the river because of
the pollution that Kyoyū has caused by washing his ears there.

富士見西行 Fuji mi Saigyō 1.6

Saigyō viewing Mt. Fuji. The story of this wandering poet'priest is reported in Saigyō Monogatari.

封侯 Hōkō 1.8
Tree spirit similar to a dog but with a human face. Called Penghou in China.

甕割り温公 kamewari Onkō 1.10

Onkō breaking the jar. Shiba Onkō (in Chinese Sima Guang, historian, writer and politician) when a child
saved a playmate from drowning in a large jar by using a heavy stone to break open the bottom of the
vessel, letting the water out.

鍾馗 Shōki 1.12
Zhong Kui in Chinese; Daoist deity known as the Demon'queller, regarded as a vanquisher of ghosts and
evil beings.
鰻 unagi 1.16
Eel (Anguilla japonica).

虎 tora 1.18
Tiger (Panthera tigris).

竹に虎 take ni tora 1.20

Bamboo and tiger.

恵比須大黒 (二福神) Ebisu Daikoku (ni fukujin) 1.22

Ebisu is the god of fishing, farming and commerce, represented with a fishing rod and a freshly caught fish.
Daikoku is the god of wealth, represented holding a magic hammer and a large bag, sometimes sitting on a
rice bale. Both are members of the seven gods of good fortune (shichi'fukujin).

桜瓢 (桜狩) sakura hisago (sakura gari) 1.26

Cherry blossom and bottle gourd (looking at cherry blossoms).

紅葉 (白氏詩意) momiji (hakushi shī) 1.28

Maple leaves.

八ツ橋 Yatsuhashi 1.30

Eight'planked bridge. In the novel Ise Monogatari the story's protagonist and his companions stop to rest at
a famous iris marsh traversed by an eight'planked bridge.

蔦の細道 (宇津の山) Tsuta no hosomichi (Utsu no yama) 1.32

Narrow road of ivy (hill of Utsu). Subject matter taken from Ise Monogatari.
檀渓 Dankei 1.34
Liu Bei crossing the river at Dankei (Tan Xi in Chinese). An episode of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

黄山谷 Kō Sankoku 1.36

Calligrapher and poet. In China called Huang Shangu.

竹林七賢 chikurin no shichi ken 1.38

Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. They were a group of Chinese scholars, writers, and musicians. As it is
traditionally depicted, the group wished to escape the intrigues, corruption and stifling atmosphere of court
life during the politically fraught Three Kingdoms period.

遊行柳 Yugyō Yanagi 1.40

Spirit of the willow. A Nō play in which the priest Yugyō passes Shirakawa's barriers and meets an old man
who guides him to an aged and withered willow standing on a mound. The man explains that this is the tree
made famous by the poet Saigyō who rested in his shadow. That night the priest sees the spirit of the willow
who tells him stories related to other willows and vanishes from view with the advent of dawn.

大森彦七 Ōmori Hikoshichi 1.42

Ōmori Hikoshichi is carrying on his back a young princess across a river and looking at the reflection in the
water he realizes that the woman has transformed into a demon.

牟礼高松 Mure Takamatsu 1.46

Military commander during the Genpei War.

俵藤太百足退治 Tawara Tōda mukade taiji 1.48

Tawara Tōda slaying a giant centipede.

勿来関 Nakoso no Seki 1.52

Gate of Nakoso. A waka poem by Minamoto no Yoshiie.
蜘蛛 kumo 1.54
Spider.

柳 yanagi 1.56
Willow (Salix spp.).

翡翠 kawasemi 1.58
Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis).

野晒 nozarashi 1.60
Exposed in the field. Theme of human skull and bones on the ground.

宇治川先陣 Ujigawa senjin 1.62

Race at the Uji River. A story of Genpei War.

武蔵野 Musashino 1.66

Musashi plain, a part of the Kantō plain. Picture of tall grasses under the moonlight.

ほととぎす hototogisu 1.68

Cuckoo (Cuculus spp.).

雁 (雁書) gan (gansho) 1.72

Wild geese.

木賊刈 tokusa kari 1.76

The Horsetail Cutter. A Nō play.
鶯宿梅 Ōshukubai 1.80
The Plum tree with the Bush Warbler's nest.

林和靖 Rin Nasei 1.82

Poet, calligrapher and scholar, in China called Lin Hejing. Usually represented accompanied by a crane and
a young servant.

梅 ume 1.84
Plum (Prunus mume).

扇の的 Ōgi no mato 1.86

The Fan Target. A story of Genpei War, reported in Heike Monogatari.

弓流し Yuminagashi 1.90

Drifting bow. A story of Genpei War. During the Battle at Yashima, general Yoshitsune lost his bow in the
water but finally retrieved it exposing himself to a great danger.

熊谷・敦盛 Kumagai Atsumori 1.92

A story from the battle at Ichinotani, during the Genpei War, reported in Heike Monogatari.

石橋山 Ishibashiyama 1.94

A story of Genpei War. During the battle of Ishibashiyama Minamoto no Yoritomo, almost overwhelmed by
the enemies, survived hiding himself inside a hollow tree.

鼠 nezumi 1.96
Mouse or rat.
東梅道膝栗毛 Tōkaidō Hizakurige 1.98
Comic picaresque novel.

武内宿禰 Takeshiuchi no Sukune 1.100

Legendary Japanese hero and statesman, elevated as a Shintō kami. Depicted holding the Emperor Ōjin as
a little child.

源為朝 Minamoto no Tametomo 1.102

Heroic warrior and a powerful archer; it is said that he once sunk an entire Taira ship with a single arrow. His
story is reported in the popular novel Yumiharizuki (Crescent Moon).

箙の梅 (生田の森) Ebira no ume (Ikuta no mori) 1.104

The Plum Quiver (battle of the Ikuta forest). A story of Genpei War. Before going to battle Kajiwara Kagesue
took a branch of a flowering plum and stuck it in his arrow quiver.

亀 kame 1.106
Turtle.

児鳥高徳 Kojima Takanori 1.108

Founder of the Ukita Clan, depicted while writing a poem on the trunk of a cherry tree.

蝦 (海老) ebi (ebi) 1.110

Prawn, shrimp or lobster.

祇園社頭 (平忠盛) Gion shatō (Taira no Tadamori) 1.112

Gion Shrine. Taira no Tadamori was charged by the Emperor to defeat a monstrous creature wandering
nighttime in nearby wood of Gion Shrine, but the creature just turned out to be an old monk who used to
steal oil from the lanterns of the temple.
文字透 moji sukashi 1.114
Writing characters in openwork.

蟻通し Aridōshi 1.116

A shrine in Izumi province. In a Nō play the god of Aridōshi is represented disguised as an old shrine priest
holding an umbrella and a paper lantern.

唐墨 karasumi 1.118
Chinese ink.

自来也 (児雷也) Jiraiya (Jiraiya) 1.120

Jiraiya was a ninja who used shapeshifting magic to morph into a gigantic toad. The folktale is reported in
Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari.

橋弁慶 (牛若・弁慶) Hashi Benkei (Ushiwaka Benkei) 1.122

Benkei at the Bridge. A legendary warrior'monk, described as prodigiously strong, is defeated by the young
Ushiwaka (named Yoshitsune in adulthood).

歳寒二雅 (梅竹) saikan niga (ume take) 1.124

The two elegances of the winter (plum and bamboo).

雷神 Raijin 1.126
Raijin, the god of thunder.

勝虫 (とんぼ) kachimushi (tonbo) 1.128

Dragonfly.
志度の海土 Shido no ama 1.130
The Woman Diver from Shido. A Nō play.

須佐之男命 Susano'o no Mikoto 1.132

The Shintō god of the sea and storms.

鉄線花 tessen ka 1.134

Iron wire flower (Clematis florida).

朝顏 asagao 1.136
Morning glory (Convolvulus spp.).

高砂 Takasago 1.138
The name of a shrine and a Nō play, both alluding to enduring marital virtue.

牛 ushi 1.140
Cattle, ox or buffalo.

村上彦四郎 Murakami Hikoshirō 1.142

Also known as Murakami Yoshiteru, legendary warrior, a retainer of Prince Morinaga.

老松満月 rōshō mangetsu 1.144

Old pine under full moon.

瓢 (瓢箪) hisago (hyōtan) 1.146

Gourd, calabash (Cucurbita lagenaria).
鵜飼 ugai 1.148
Cormorant fishing.

安宅関 (勧進帳) Ataka no Seki (Kanjinchō) 1.150

Kanjinchō (The Subscription List) is a Japanese Kabuki play set at the Gate of Ataka.

川中烏 (上杉謙信・原大隅) Kawanakajima 1.152

(Uesugi Kenshin Hara Osumi)
During the fourth battle of Kawanakajima, Uesugi Kenshin himself burst into the enemy's headquarters,
attacking Takeda Shingen, who parried with his signalling fan as long as Hara Osumi (one of his retainers)
speared at Kenshin's horse and drive him off.

鞍馬山 (鞍馬天狗) Kurama yama (Kurama Tengu) 1.154

Mount Kurama is a mountain to the north'west of Kyōto. It is said to be the home of the King of the Tengu
(legendary creature traditionally depicted with both human and avian characteristics).

二王 (仁王) Niō (Niō) 1.156

Two Deva kings; guardian gods of Buddhism who stand at the entrance of a Buddhist temple.

登竜門 (鯉の滝登り) tōryūmon (koi no takinobori) 1.158

Gateway to the dragon (carp climbing the waterfall). According to legend if a simple carp is perseverant,
strong and brave enough to swim upstream a waterfall, it will be transformed into a powerful dragon.

闘鶏 (軍鶏) tōkei (shamo) 1.160

Fighting cock.

東天紅 (鶏) tōtenkō (niwatori) 1.162

Early morning crowing of a rooster (chicken).
いもり (蠑螈) imori (imori) 1.164
Japanese fire belly newt (Cynops pyrrhogaster).

琵琶 biwa 1.166
Short'necked fretted lute. The biwa is associated with Benten, Shintō goddess of music, eloquence, poetry
and education.

達磨 Daruma 1.168
Daruma is the Japanese name of Bodhidharma, a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th or 6th century.
He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chan (Zen) Buddhism to China.

猿猴捕月 (猿猴捉月) enkōhagetsu (enkōsokugetsu) 1.170

Monkey trying to catch the moon. Trying to accomplish something beyond one's abilities and failing.

三猿 sanen 1.172
Three wise monkeys (who "see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil").

弓矢八幡 Yumiya Hachiman 1.174

Divinity of archery and war, the tutelary god of warriors.

李白観瀑 Ri Haku kanbaku 1.176

Ri Haku looking at a waterfall. Called Li Bai in China, famous poet.

虎渓三笑 Kokei sanshō 1.178

Three laughs at Tiger Brook. Chinese proverb which refers to the image that the three men, Huiyuan, Tao
Yuanming and Lu Xiujing laugh together when arriving at Kokei (虎溪, Tiger Brook) of Mount Lu. This
concept represents the ideal harmonious relations of Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism in ancient China.
豊干禅師 Bukan zenji 1.180
Zen master Bukan (Fenggan in Chinese). Hermit and poet, usually depicted with his pet tiger.

鹿 shika 1.182
Deer (Cervus nippon).

大名行列 daimyō gyōretsu 1.184

Daimyo's procession. The Tokugawa shogunate during most of the Edo period imposed sankin'kōtai
(alternate attendance) over the daimyōs. It required feudal lords, to alternate living for a year in their domain
and in Edo, the capital. With hundreds of daimyōs entering or leaving Edo each year, processions (daimyō'
gyōretsu) were almost daily occurrences in the shogunal capital.

象 zō 1.186
Elephant (Elephantidae spp.).

富士 Fuji 1.188
Mount Fuji.

張果老 Chōkarō 1.192

Zhang Guolao in Chinese, one of the Eight Immortals in the Daoist pantheon. His mule/horse have the
magic power of being stored in a small gourd when resting. Sometimes depicted riding his mule, seated
facing backwards.

月兎 getto 1.194
Moon rabbit. According Asian folklore the image of a rabbit and mortar is delineated on the moon's surface.

草廬三顧 sōro sanko 1.196

The Three Visits by Liu Bei to Zhuge Liang in his hermitage. A story reported in the Chinese Romance of the
Three Kingdoms.
田毎月 (姨捨山) Tagoto no tsuki (Obasute yama) 1.198
The moon reflecting in the rice paddies on the slopes of Mt. Obasute.

楼閣山水 rōkaku sansui 1.200

A landscape composed by combining a multi'story tower or viewing pavilion with natural scenic elements.

武蔵鐙 Musashi abumi 1.204

The Stirrups of Musashi. Refers to a book reporting the Great fire of Meireki in 1657.

太公望 Taikōbō 1.206

Chinese noble known as Lü Shang, Jiang Ziya and other names. While in exile, he used to go fishing with a
line without hook, on the theory that the fish would come to him of their own volition when they were ready.

蕗 (款冬) fuki (kantō) 1.208

Butterbur (Petasites japonicus).

淀の水車 Yodo no mizuguruma 1.210

Water wheel of Yodo.

夢応の鯉魚 Muō no rigyo (Kinkō shiei kōgi) 1.212

(琴高・子英・興義) A Carp that Appeared in my Dream. One of the nine stories of Ugetsu Monogatari (Tales of Moonlight and
Rain), a collection of supernatural tales by Ueda Akinari, first published in 1776. Kinkō sennin (Daoist sage)
was an artist who painted fish but would neither eat or harm them. For reason of his virtue, the Dragon King
sent forth a giant carp (kōgi) and invited Kinkō to visit his palace in the sea world.

文福茶釜 Bunbuku chagama 1.214

Literally "Bunbuku tea'kettle" is a Japanese folktale about a raccoon dog, or tanuki, that uses its
shapeshifting powers to reward its rescuer for his kindness.
仁田四郎 Nitan no Shirō 1.216
During a hunting party at the foot of Mount Fuji a boar, wounded and maddened, headed straight at the
hunters, too fast to be hit with their arrows. The warrior Nitan no Shirō Yadatsune, attacked by the boar,
leaped on the back of the beast grasping the tail.

万年青 omoto 1.218

Japanese sacred lily (Rohdea japonica).

二見ケ浦 Futamigaura 1.220

At Sakurai Futamigaura, more popularly known as "Couple Rock", there are two huge rocks rising from the
sea, joined together by a shimenawa (a Shintō rope used as talisman).

関羽 Kan'u 1.222
Guan Yu. Chinese general during the Three Kingdoms period, serving under the warlord Liu Bei. Depicted
holding the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, a legendary weapon.

時雨亭 shigure tei 1.224

Literally "pavillon of autumn rain". In a Nō play called Teika, a priest is led to a vine'covered grave by a
woman he meets when sheltering from a passing autumn shower. The woman reveals to be the ghost of
Princess Shikishi, loved by the poet Fujiwara no Teika whose soul is housed in the vines.

茶筅 chasen 1.226
Bamboo whisk for making Japanese tea.

日吉山王 Hie Sannō 1.228

Shintō shrine where is worshipped the "Mountain King" (Sannō) in the form of monkey.
渡水布袋 tosui Hotei 1.230
Hotei crossing the water. Hotei is one of the seven gods of good fortune (shichi'fukujin); is shown with
sparse hair, a smiling face, a large bare belly, loose garments and carrying a bag and wooden staff.

寿老 Jurō 1.232
God of longevity. One of the seven gods of good fortune (shichi'fukujin). He is depicted as an old man with a
long white beard and often a very tall bald head, with a scroll tied to his staff, on which is written the lifespan
of all living things.

鯉魚 (鯉) rigyo (koi) 1.234

Carp (Cyprinus carpio).

石橋 shakukyō 1.236
Stone bridge on Mt. Tiantai in China. The stone bridge is also connected with the legend of a lioness who
pushes her cubs off it, nurturing only those with the fortitude to climb back up the precipice.

瓢簞鯰 hyōtan'namazu 1.238

"How do you catch a catfish in a gourd?", a famous Zen koan.

狸囃 (狸の腹鼓) tanuki bayashi 1.240

(tanuki no haratsudzumi)
Raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) drumming (drumming over the belly of the tanuki).

まくわ瓜 (甜瓜) makuwa uri (tenka) 1.242

Oriental melon (Cucumis melo var. Makuwa).
鯰 namazu 1.244
Catfish (Silurus asotus). According a legend, earthquakes are caused by movement of large catfish deep
inside the earth.

菊籬・東籬佳色 (菊籬) kikumagaki, tōri kashoku (kikumagaki) 1.246

Lattice'woven fence delimiting chrysanthemum plantation. Kikumagaki is the design teaming
chrysanthemums with a fence.

筏 (筏流し) ikada (ikadanagashi) 1.248

Raft (floating raft).

桃太郎 Momotarō 1.250

A popular hero from Japanese folklore. A tiny boy discovered inside a large peach soon grows into a strong
lad and leaves home to conquer Demon's Island, Onigashima.

かちかち山 Kachi kachi Yama 1.252

Folktale in which a tanuki is the villain.

蛙詠歌 kawazu eika 1.254

Frog singing a poem.

鹿島踊 Kashima odori 1.256

Una danza popolare di gruppo eseguita da giovani o ragazzi adulti (ragazze e donne in alcune zone di
Ibaraki e Chiba).

蟹 (千里横行) kani (senri ōkō) 1.258

Crab (walking sideways a long distance).
茸・薄 kinoko susuki 1.262
Mushroom and silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis). An autumnal theme.

菅原 Sugawara 1.264
Theme of pine and plum, favourite trees of Sugawara no Michizane; he was a scholar, poet, and politician of
the Heian Period, venerated as a Shinto deity of learning.

鉢の木 Hachi no ki 1.266

The Potted Trees. A Nō play.

獅子舞 shishimai 1.268

Lion dance; traditional dance performed by one or more dancers wearing a guardian lion (shishi) costume.

螳螂の斧 (龍車・螳螂) tōrō no ono (ryūsha tōrō) 1.270

Ax of praying mantis (dragon carriage and mantis).

鳴子 (引板) naruko (hita) 1.272

Naruko are wooden clappers suspended over the fields by ropes, in order to drive away birds that come to
the rice fields.

富士見業平 Fuji mi Narihira 1.274

Narihira viewing Mt. Fuji. Subject matter taken from Ise Monogatari. Ariwara no Narihira was a Japanese
courtier and waka poet of the early Heian period.

水仙・梅 (歳寒仙侶) suisen ume (saikan senryo) 1.276

Narcissus and plum (winter companions).
鈴虫 suzumushi 1.278
Bell cricket (Meloimorpha japonicus).

易水別離 (荊軻) Ekisui betsuri (Keika) 1.282

A farewell at Ekisui (Yi River). Keika (in China called Jing Ke) was a retainer of Crown Prince Dan of the Yan
state and renowned for his failed assassination attempt of King Zheng of the Qin state, who later became
China's first emperor.

二十四孝 孟宗 Nijūshikō. Mōsō 1.284

The Twenty'four Filial Exemplars. Mōsō (Mèng Zōng in Chinese). Mōsō's mother was ill and the physician
suggested as cure a soup made from fresh bamboo shoots. However, it was in winter and a desperate Mōsō
went to the bamboo forest and cried, and then the bamboo sprouted out of the ground. Mōsō harvested the
shoots and made soup for his mother who recovered from her illness.

二十四孝 舜 Nijūshikō. Shun 1.286

The Twenty'four Filial Exemplars. Shun was a legendary and prehistoric Chinese leader. Shun remained
filial to his father, respected his stepmother and loved his half brother even though they tried to kill him. His
filial piety moved the gods so they protected him from harm and made the animals help him in his daily
farming chores.

桐・鳳凰 kiri hōō 1.288

Paulownia and Chinese phoenix (fenghuang).

文字 (名号・題目) moji (Myōgō Daimoku) 1.290

Writing characters (name of the Buddha ' Sutra of the Lotus).

珊瑚切 sango kiri 1.292

Coral cutting.
蕪 (蕪菁) kabu (kabuna) 1.294
Turnip (Brassica rapa).

南蛮船 nanban sen 1.296

Foreign ship (esp. of Spanish and Portuguese ships arriving from the south prior to the Edo period).

九曜・桜紋透 kuyō sakura mon sukashi 1.298

Family crest in openwork of "nine celestial bodies" and cherry blossom.

十字架 (切支丹) jūjika (kirishitan) 1.300

The Christian cross. Early Japanese Christianity from the later Muromachi period.

五丈原 Gojōgen 1.302

Wuzhang in Chinese. The Wuzhang Plains are plateaus near the Wei River in China and were the site of the
Battle of Wuzhang Plains during the Three Kingdoms period.
 Page
大楠公出陣 Dai Nankō shutsujin 2.2
Departure for the front of Dai Nankō (enshrined name of Kusunoki Masashige).

義経八艘飛び Yoshitsune hassōtobi 2.4

Yoshitsune's Leap over Eight Boats. A story of Genpei War.

足柄山 (新羅三郎) Ashigarayama (Shinra Saburō) 2.6

A mountain in Kanagawa prefecture, where Shinra Saburō, before going into battle, returned the ancient
bamboo wind instrument shou (笙) and transmitted its musical secret to Toyohara Tokiaki.

福禄寿 (福禄如意) Fukurokuju (Fukuroku nyoi) 2.8

Tall headed god of happiness, wealth, and long life; one of the seven gods of good fortune (shichi fukujin).

三国志 桃園の誓 Sangokushi. Tōen no chikai 2.10

Annals of the Three Kingdoms; Oath of the Peach Garden. In the incident of the "Three Heroes of the Peach
Garden" Liu Bei, Chō Hi and Kan U take an oath to become blood brothers.

三十三間堂の通し矢 Sanjūsangen dō no Tōshiya 2.12

Archery exhibition contest held on the west veranda of Sanjūsangen dō temple in Kyōto.

小野道風 Ono no Michikaze 2.14

Prominent Japanese calligrapher who lived in the Heian period. Ono no Michikaze is often depicted under a
willow branch, while watching a frog jump since it is said that he regained the willpower needed to continue
his career by watching a frog jumping over and over again to reach the branch of a willow tree.
小鍛治 Kokaji 2.16
A Nō play in which the renowned swordsmith Sanjō no Kokaji Munechika is assisted by the deity of Inari
Shrine to forge a sword for the Emperor.

舌切雀 (雀のお宿) Shita kiri Suzume (Suzumenōyado) 2.18

Tongue cut Sparrow (the sparrow's inn). A traditional fable telling of a kind old man, his avaricious wife and
an injured sparrow.

鵺退治 (源三位頼政) Nue taiji (Genzanmi Yorimasa) 2.20

The slaying of the Nue. In Heike Monogatari, the Nue is a legendary monster (a sort of Japanese chimera),
slayed by Minamoto no Yorimasa.

糸巻太刀 itomaki no tachi 2.22

Tachi with the upper area of saya wrapped with ito (fabric).

伸子張 shinshihari 2.24

Temple. During the process of weaving, a temple is an adjustable stretcher used on a loom to maintain the
width and improve the edges of the woven fabric.

方広洪鐘 Hōkō Kōshō 2.26

The great bell of Hōkō temple.

堪忍 (韓信股くぐり) Kan'nin (Kanshin mata kuguri) 2.28

Patient endurance. (Kanshin crawling). Kanshin (Han Xin in Chinese) was a military general who served Liu
Bang during the Chu Han Contention and contributed greatly to the founding of the Han dynasty. In his early
years, Han Xin was challenged by a hooligan to face him and kill him or crawl between his legs. Han Xin
knew he would become a criminal if he killed him, so he endured the derision and crawled. Years later,
having become the king of Chu, Han Xin found the hooligan and instead of taking revenge, he awarded him
a military rank.
浅妻船 Asadzuma bune 2.30
Asadzuma boat. A story from Kabuki play about the Taira clan women escaped from Kyōto and got as far as
Asadzuma, to prostitute themselves aboard boats on Biwa Lake.

道成寺 (日高川) Dōjō ji (Hidakagawa) 2.32

A handsome monk loved by a passionate woman repels her advances by promising to return, but evades
her by taking a different road home. The monk hides in the lowered temple bell at Dōjō ji, while the rejected
woman is converted in a giant snake that coils around the bell and incinerates him with the burning heat of
her body. The snake finally disappears in Hidaka river. Dōjō ji is also a Nō play.

浦島太郎 Urashima Tarō 2.36

The protagonist of a Japanese fairy tale rewarded for rescuing a turtle, and carried on its back to the Dragon
Palace beneath the sea. There he is entertained by the princess Otohime as a reward. He spends what he
believes to be some days with the princess, but when he returns to his home village, he discovers he has
been gone for at least 100 years. When he opens the forbidden jewelled box, given to him by Otohime on
his departure, he turns into an old man.

文覚荒行 Mongaku aragyō 2.38

The story of ascetic Mongaku is reported in Heike Monogatari.

群盲象を撫す gunmō zō o busu 2.40

Blind men and an elephant. It is a story of a group of blind men, who have never come across an elephant
before and who learn and conceptualize what the elephant is like by touching it. Each blind man feels a
different part of the elephant's body, but only one part, such as the side or the tusk. They then describe the
elephant based on their limited experience and their descriptions of the elephant are different from each
other.

盆踊り Bon'odori 2.42

Lantern Festival dance.
一富士・二鷹・三茄子 (初夢) ichi Fuji, ni taka, san nasubi (hatsuyume)
2.44
Hatsuyume is the first dream one has in the new year. It was considered to be particularly good luck to
dream of Mount Fuji, a hawk (taka), and an eggplant (nasubi).
関寺小町 (小野小町) Sekidera Komachi (Ono no Komachi) 2.46
Komachi at Sekidera. Ono no Komachi was a waka poet, one of the Rokkasen, the six best waka poets of
the early Heian period. She was renowned for her unusual beauty. Here depicted as an old woman, forced
to wander in ragged clothes as punishment for her earlier mistreatment of her lovers.

黄石公・張良 Kōsekikō Chōryō 2.48

Chōryō rescued a shoe from the Wei River for Kōsekikō, the 'Yellow Stone Elder', disguised as an
insignificant old man. In reward Kōsekikō gave to Chōryō a scroll of writing containing all the secret
traditions of warfare.

覗き絡繰 nozoki karakuri 2.50

A street show with a sort of magic lantern device.

柿本人麿 Kakinomoto no Hitomaro 2.52

Waka poet and aristocrat of the late Asuka period. He has come to be revered as a god of poetry and
scholarship, and is considered one of the four greatest poets in Japanese history, along with Fujiwara no
Teika, Sōgi and Bashō.

景季奮戦 (生田の森) Kagesue funsen (Ikuta no mori) 2.54

Kajiwara Kagesue hard fighting (battle of the Ikuta forest). A story of Genpei War.

鳥刺し torisashi 2.56

Catching birds using a birdlime covered pole.
三保松原 (羽衣) Miho no Matsubara (Hagoromo) 2.58
Miho no Matsubara (Miho Pine Grove) is a scenic area on the Miho. Its seven kilometre seashore is lined
with pine trees. It is the location of the legend upon which the Nō drama Hagoromo (Feather Robe) is based.

六歌仙 Rokkasen 2.60

The Six Immortal Poets. The six distinguished poets are: Ariwara no Narihira (在原業平), Henjou Soujou (遍照僧正),
Kisen houshi (喜撰法師), Ootomo no Kuronushi (大伴黒主), Bun'ya no Yasuhide (文屋康秀), and Ono no Komachi
(小野小町).

提灯に釣鐘 chōchin ni tsurigane 2.62

Paper lantern and bell. Two ill matched things; two poorly balanced things.

富士の巻狩 Fuji no makigari 2.64

Hunting near Mt. Fuji.

大原女 (黒木売) oharame (kuroki uri) 2.66

Woman peddler in Kyōto from Ohara (typically with a bundle of sticks, etc. on her head). A seller of
brushwood.

石臼 ishiusu 2.68
Millstone.

将棋駒 shōgi no koma 2.70

Pieces for shōgi (board game, Japanese chess).

糸瓜 hechima 2.72
Sponge gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca).
文字 moji 2.74
Writing characters.

追儺 (おにやらい) tsuina (oni yarai) 2.76

Ceremony of driving out evil spirits.

干支 (えと) kanshi (eto) 2.78

Sexagenary cycle (60 year cycle of 12 animal zodiac and 5 elements in Chinese astrology).

天岩戸 Ama no Iwato 2.84

Literally meaning "The cave of the sun goddess" or "heavenly rock cave". According to Japanese mythology
the bad behavior of Susano'o, the Japanese god of storms, drove his sister Amaterasu into the Ame no
Iwato cave. The land was thus deprived of light.

新田義貞 (稲村ヶ崎) Nitta Yoshisada (Inamuragasaki) 2.86

The cape Inamuragasaki was considered one of the natural defenses that made Kamakura an impregnable
fortress. Nitta Yoshisada in 1333 bypassed it to invade Kamakura, bringing the Kamakura shogunate to an
end.

蜃気楼 shinkirō 2.88

Mirage. In Chinese mythology, the shen or chen (蜃 - literally: "large clam") is a shapeshifting dragon or
sea monster believed to create mirages.

三輪 (三輪の杉) Miwa (Miwa no sugi) 2.90

Miwa is a Shintō shrine located in Sakurai. The worshipped kami is the Mount Miwa itself. An ancient
Japanese cedar tree (sugi) is considered sacred.

薬玉 kusudama 2.92
Medicine ball. Decorative paper ball.
月見 Tsukimi 2.94
Viewing the Moon. Mid Autumn Festival.

蛸(章魚) tako (tako) 2.96

Octopus (Octopus spp.).

柘榴 (ざくろ) sekiryū (zakuro) 2.98

Pomegranate (Punica granatum).

琴棋書画 kinkishoga 2.100

The Four Accomplishments: Koto, Go, Calligraphy, Painting. The four arts of the Chinese scholar, were the
four main academic and artistic accomplishments required of the aristocratic ancient Chinese scholar
gentleman.

鰹 (松魚) katsuo (katsuo) 2.102

Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis).

手長・足長 Tenaga Ashinaga 2.104

"Long Arms Long Legs". Legendary creatures described as people who possess unusually lengthy arms or
legs. The two work together as a team, the long armed man (tenaga) climbs onto the back of the long
legged man (ashinaga) to catch fish by the seashore.

猿曳 (猿まわし) saruhiki (sarumawashi) 2.106

Showman who trains performing monkeys.

案山子 kakashi 2.108

Scarecrow.
猩々 shōjō 2.110
A shōjō is a kind of Japanese sea spirit with red face and hair and a fondness for alcohol. The legend is the
subject of a Nō play of the same name.

小人国 kobito no kuni 2.112

The Country of Little People.

夜討曾我 Youchi Soga 2.114

Soga's night attack. The Soga brothers, Goro and Juro, attack their enemy by night, but find themselves
counterattacked by Minamoto no Yoritomo. A Nō play.

錣曳 (三保谷・景清) Shikorohiki (Mihotani Kagekiyo) 2.116

Legendary fight between Mihotani and Kagekiyo. A story of Genpei War.

塩鮭 shiozake 2.118
Salted salmon.

河豚 (鰒) fugu (fugu) 2.120

Puffer fish.

御木曳 Okihiki 2.122

Festival at Ise Shrine.

二十四孝 郭巨 Nijūshikō. Kakukyo 2.124

The Twenty four Filial Exemplars. Kakukyo. Unable to feed his family including his mother, Kakukyo decided
to bury his son alive; while he was digging, he discovered a pile of gold, a gift to him from Heaven which
made him able to provide for his whole family.
羽衣 hagoromo 2.126
Feathered kimono of tennin, spiritual beings found in Japanese Buddhism.

鶴ヶ岡放生会 Tsurugaoka hōjō e 2.128

Ceremony of liberation of living creatures at Tsurugaoka Shrine.

鳥獣戯画 Chō jū giga 2.130

Birds and wild animals caricature.

鉢の木 Hachi no ki 2.132

The Potted Trees. A Nō play.

韋駄天 Idaten 2.134

Idaten is a Mahayana bodhisattva regarded as a devoted guardian of Buddhist monasteries who protects
the teachings of Buddhism.

小督 Kogō 2.136
Lady Kogō was taken as concubine by Emperor Takakura. Typically Kogō is shown playing the koto inside a
small thatched house while Nakakuni, a courtier engaged by the Emperor to find her, plays his flute outside
the gate. A story from Heike Monogatari.

豫譲 Yoshō 2.138
Yoshō (Yu Rang in Chinese) was an assassin in the early days of the Warring States period.

阿福 (三平二満) Ofuku (sanpei jiman) 2.142

A humorous, homely woman's face characterized by a small nose, flat forehead and chin, and full, bulging
cheeks. Also known as Otafuku or sanpei jiman.
汐汲 (松風・村雨) Shiokumi (Matsukaze Murasame) 2.144
Women who worked hauling brine to make salt. The courtier Ariwara no Yukihira exiled at Suma felt in love
with the sisters Matsukaze and Murasame, two brinemaidens. In Nō play Matsukaze, the ghosts of
Matsukaze and Murasame wait at Suma beach for Yukihira's promised return, cherishing his outer cloak and
cap left as keepsakes.

萩・鶉 hagi uzura 2.146

Bush clover and quail.

楠公父子訣別 (桜井駅) Nankō fushi tsubetsu (Sakurai eki) 2.148

Kusunoki departing from the Sakurai Station bid farewell to his son. Kusunoki Masashige, also called Nankō,
was a 14th century samurai who fought for Emperor Go Daigo in the Genkō War. Kusunoki knew he would
be defeated by the overwhelming forces of Ashikaga shogunate and before leaving for the battle of
Minatogawa exorted his young son to stay behind so that when he grew up he could continue the fight for
the Emperor.

橋合戦 Hashi gassen 2.150

The Battle at the Bridge. A story of Genpei War.

熊坂長範 Kumasaka Chōhan 2.152

A legendary thief of the Heian period..

熊手 kumade 2.154
Bamboo rake.

蝸牛・蜂 kagyū wachi 2.156

Snail and bee.
本間孫四郎 Honma Magoshirō 2.158
General of the Nanbokucho era.

冠 kanmuri 2.160
Traditional cap worn by Shintō clergy and courtiers.

万歳 manzai 2.162
Form of comedy originally performed at people's homes by entertainers during the New Year festivities.

鰯の頭 (鬼やらい) iwashi no atama (oni yarai) 2.166

Sardine heads (ceremony of driving out evil spirits). During Setsubun (the day before the beginning of
spring) some families put up small decorations of sardine heads and holly leaves on their house entrances
so that bad spirits will not enter.

寒山拾得 Kanzan Jittoku 2.168

Kanzan and Jittoku (in Chinese Hanshan and Shide) are two Zen monks, usually depicted wearing scrappy
and ratty clothing, laughing, or with mischievous looks on their faces. Kanzan is identified by the scroll he
holds in his hand, alluding to his work as a poet. Jittoku is identified by the broom he holds, which references
his work as a kitchen cleaner at the monastery.

沢潟 omodaka 2.170
Threeleaf arrowhead (Sagittaria trifolia).

輪宝 rinpō 2.172
Wheel of Dharma. Buddhist symbol associated with many significances.

髭題目 hige daimoku 2.174

Lit. “daimoku with beard.” Characters of the Daimoku (Lotus Sutra, chanted as the central practice of
Nichiren Buddhism) written with elongated ends of the strokes.
猛禽捕猿 mōkin hoen 2.176
Bird of prey catching a monkey.

大江山 Ōeyama 2.178

The story tells how the hero Minamoto no Raikō kills the giant ogre Shuten dōji. The ogre presided over a
cannibalistic band of demons on Mt. Ōe.

近江八景 Ōmi hakkei 2.180

Eight Views of Ōmi. According to tradition, Regent Konoe Masaie and his son Hisamichi, while visiting Ōmi
province near Kyōto, wrote eight waka poems describing famous scenes around the western shore of Lake
Biwa.

和田透・海鼠透 wada sukashi namako sukashi 2.182

Symmetrical openwork design (in a tsuba) resembling the great inlet (wada) of Lake Biwa or the shape of
sea cucumber (namako).

淀城 (淀の水車) Yodo jō (Yodo no suisha) 2.184

Yodo Castle (water wheel of Yodo river).

西王母 Seiōbo 2.186

Queen Mother of the West, is a goddess in Chinese religion and mythology, also worshipped in
neighbouring Asian countries, and attested from ancient times.

南天・鵯 nanten hiyodori 2.188

Sacred bamboo (Nandina domestica) and brown eared bulbul (Hypsipetes amaurotis).

鉈豆 natamame 2.190
Sword bean (Canavalia gladiata).
鯱 shachi 2.192
Mythical carp with the head of a lion and the body of a fish (auspicious protectors of well being).

加藤清正虎退治 Katō Kiyomasa tora taiji 2.194

Katō Kiyomasa slaying tigers. Kiyomasa was one of the three senior commanders during the Seven Year
War (1592–1598) against the Korean Joseon. During the war, he apparently hunted tigers for sport and later
presented the pelts to Hideyoshi.

巌止鷹 (英雄独立) ganjiō no taka (eiyū dokuritsu) 2.196

Hawk on a rock (hero's standing alone).

蜆子和尚 Kensu Oshō 2.198

A legendary monk who disregarded Buddhist vegetarian rules and nourished himself on crayfish and shells.
He is said to have attained enlightenment while catching shrimp.

吹寄せ fukiyose 2.200

Medley (of leaves).

国尽し kuni dzukushi 2.202

Enumeration of the names of countries.

矢車透 yaguruma sukashi 2.204

Arrow wheel. Decorative windmill on the pole on which carp streamers are raised to celebrate Tango no
sekku.

一路平安 ichiroheian 2.206

Wishing bon voyage.
赤穂義士 Akō gishi 2.208
Virtuous men of Akō. Refers to the revenge of the forty seven rōnin.

桜ヶ池 Sakura ga ike 2.210

A pond in which rice cakes are sunk on offer to a dragon god.

住吉 (住の江) Sumiyoshi (Suminoe) 2.212

Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine in Ōsaka. Suminoe is a pine tree growing there, cited in a Nō play called Takasago.

箕 mi 2.214
Winnowing basket.

橘 tachibana 2.216
Tachibana (Citrus tachibana).

雪華文 sekka mon 2.220

Shapes of snowflakes.

鷹 (鷹狩) taka (takagari) 2.222

Hawk (falconry).

茶道具透 chadōgu sukashi 2.224

Tea utensils reproduced in openwork.

機織道具 hataori dōgu 2.226

Weaving tools.
鐔散 tsuba chirashi 2.228
Tsuba in a scattered pattern.

刀茎透 nakago sukashi 2.230

Sword's tangs reproduced in openwork.

文字 (忠孝) moji (chūkō) 2.232

Writing characters (loyalty and filial piety).

土蜘蛛 tsuchigumo 2.234

A race of spider like yōkai (supernatural monsters, spirits and demons) in Japanese folklore.

唐子遊び karako asobi 2.236

Boys playing dressed in ancient Chinese clothes.

三国志 五丈原 Sangokushi. Gojōgen 2.238

Annals of the Three Kingdoms; Gojōgen (Wuzhang in Chinese) were the site of a famous battle near the
Wei River.

伊勢の神風 Ise no kamikaze 2.240

Divine wind of Ise Shrine.

蘇東坡 Sotōba 2.242

Su Dongpo. Chinese writer, poet, painter, calligrapher, pharmacologist, gastronome, and a statesman of the
Song dynasty.
袴垂保輔 Hakamadare Yasusuke 2.244
Hakamadare was a fearless robber; one night he was waiting on a secluded moor for a passerby. Along
came the noble Fujiwara no Yasumasa playing a flute. Hakamadare made several passes, attempting to
frighten Fujiwara with no effect, and finally gave up, impressed by the fact that Fujiwara continued to play
the flute and simply walk along his path.

胡桃 kurumi 2.246
Walnut (Juglans regia).

出漁 shutsuryō 2.248
Going fishing.

打毬楽 dakyū raku 2.250

Polo like game.

桜・和歌 sakura waka 2.252

Cherry blossom and classic Japanese poem.

百鬼夜行 (ひゃくきやこう) Hyakki Yagyō (Hyakki Yakō) 2.254

"Night Parade of One Hundred Demons".

陶淵明 Tōenmei 2.256

Tao Yuanming in Chinese, is considered to be one of the greatest poets of the Six Dynasties period.

軽業師 karuwazashi 2.258

Acrobat.
槲 (柏) kashiwa (kashiwa) 2.260
Japanese emperor oak (Quercus dentata).

貝尽し kai dzukushi 2.262

All kinds of seashells.

文銭散 mon sen chirashi 2.264

Scattered coins.

蟬 semi 2.266
Cicada.

黄初平・黄初起 (羊仙人) Kōshohei Kōshoki (hitsuji sennin) 2.270

Huang Chuping in Chinese, was an hermit with the power of healing, enshrined as a Daoist deity. According
to legend he was able to transform stones into sheep.

天球儀 tenkyūgi 2.272

Armillary sphere.

酸漿 hōzuki 2.274
Chinese lantern plant (Physalis alkekengi).

田植え taue 2.276

Rice planting.

桃 momo 2.278
Peach (Prunus persica).
菊慈童 Kikujidō 2.280
The Chrysanthemum Boy. A Nō play.

月下餓狼 gekka garō 2.282

Hungry wolf .

松・柳 matsu yanagi 2.284

Pine and willow.

暁烏 ake garasu 2.286

Ravens at dawn.

和藤内 Watōnai 2.288

A character of "The Battles of Coxinga", a puppet play by Chikamatsu Monzaemon. Watōnai is depicted
while submitting the tiger in the "Bamboo Forest of a Thousand Leagues".

桧扇 hiōgi 2.290
Formal folding fan made of hinoki cypress.

牛車 (御所車) gissha (gosho guruma) 2.292

Ox drawn carriage, for Heian era nobles.

卒塔婆 sotoba 2.294

Wooden grave tablet.

蘭・菊 ran kiku 2.296

Orchid and chrysanthemum.
燕 (つばくろ) tsubame (tsubakuro) 2.298
Swallow (Hirundo spp.).

錨 ikari 2.300
Anchor.

規矩透 kiku sukashi 2.302

Rulers, carpenter's squares reproduced in openwork.

烏鷺合戦 uro gassen 2.304

Battle of crows and herons.

一里塚 ichiridzuka 2.306

Historic Japanese distance markers akin to milestones, comprising a pair of earthen mounds covered in
trees and flanking the road. A traditional poem allegorically compares the ichirizuka that mark distance to the
Kadomatsu (decoration of New Year) marking the years of a person's life.

猛禽図 mōkin no zu 2.308

Bird of prey illustration.

文字 moji 2.310
Writing characters.

刎釣瓶 hanetsurube 2.312

Water bucket suspended from a weighted rod.

鶴丸透 tsurumaru sukashi 2.314

Crane in a circle reproduced in openwork.
兜鉢図 kabutohachi no zu 2.316
Subject of helmet bowl.

市松模様 ichimatsu moyō 2.318

Checkerboard pattern.

松葉透 matsuba sukashi 2.320

Pine needles in openwork.

網干・群千鳥 aboshi mura chidori 2.322

Hanging net and flock of plovers.
 Page
桜川 Sakuragawa 3.2
The River of Cherry Blossoms. A Nō play. The net and cherry flower pattern refer to the scene of a
madwoman that scoops cherry petals floating on the river with a net. When a monk asks her why she does
this, she explains that she cannot waste the blossoms, related as they are to the name of her son,
Sakurago, from whom she is separated.

源三位 Genzanmi 3.4

A popular name for Minamoto no Yorimasa.

藤戸 Fujito 3.6
The Battle of Fujito, also called Battle of Kojima, was a battle of the Genpei War. The Minamoto commander
Sasaki Moritsuna led the attack crossing on his horse a narrow strait between Kojima and the mainland of
Honshū.

宇治川先陣 畠山重忠 Ujigawa senjin. Hatakeyama Shigetada 3.8

Race at the Uji River. Hatakeyama Shigetada was a samurai who fought in the Genpei War. In an anecdote
from the Heike Monogatari, he is described as competing, along with a number of other warriors, to be the
first across the Uji River.

伊勢物語 Ise Monogatari 3.10

The Tales of Ise is a collection of tanka poems and associated narratives, dating from the Heian period;
attributed to Ariwara no Narihira (825–880).

指月布袋 shigetsu Hotei 3.12

Hotei pointing at the moon. Hotei is one of the seven gods of good fortune (shichi6fukujin).
柿・蜜柑 (事々大吉) kaki $ mikan (kotogoto daikichi) 3.14
Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki) and Satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu). A presentation of greetings.

花見 hanami 3.16
Hanami (lit. "flower viewing") is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers.

新田義貞 Nitta Yoshisada 3.18

Nitta Yoshisada was the head of the Nitta clan in the early fourteenth century, and supported the Southern
Court of Emperor Go6Daigo.

春日 (春日野) Kasuga (Kasugano) 3.20

Kasuga is a Shintō shrine in Nara. The path to the shrine passes through a deer park; deers are believed to
be sacred messengers of the Shintō gods that inhabit the shrine and surrounding mountainous terrain.

網曳き ami hiki 3.22

Seine fishing, dragging a fishing net.

鯨 kujira 3.24
Whale (Cetacea spp.).

韓退之 Kantaishi 3.26

Han Tuizhi in Chinese, was a historian, poet, and politician of the Tang dynasty who significantly influenced
the development of Neo6Confucianism.

虚無僧 (薦僧) komusō (komosō) 3.30

A komusō was a begging Zen priest of the Fuke sect (wearing a sedge hood and playing a shakuhachi
flute).
竜門の鯉 ryūmon no koi 3.32
A carp at the Dragon's Gate. According to legend, in the Yellow River a power waterfall that dropped in
three steps making upstream passage impossible for all fish except the mighty carp. If a carp should swim to
the top of the waterfall, it would turn into a dragon and ascend to heaven.

二十四孝 子路 Nijūshikō. Shiro 3.34

The Twenty6four Filial Exemplars. Shiro (Zhong You in Chinese) was born in a poor family. When he was
young, he often travelled a distance away from home and carried back a sack of rice to feed his parents. He
ate only wild vegetables. Many years later, when he became an important and wealthy official in the Chu
state, his parents had already died. He often recalled his past and lamented, "I can never eat wild
vegetables and carry rice back for my parents anymore."

鮫 same 3.36
Shark.

三十六歌仙 Sanjūrokkasen 3.38

Thirty6six Poetry Immortals. Sanjūrokkasen are a group of Japanese poets of the Nara, Asuka and Heian
periods selected by Fujiwara no Kintō as exemplars of poetic ability.

一笑図 (竹に犬) isshō no zu (take ni inu) 3.40

A Chinese theme depicting bamboo and dog, dating back to the paintings of Sotōba (Su Dongpo).

螢雪 (苦学) keisetsu (kugaku) 3.42

Diligence in studying (e.g. continuing to study even in such poor light as offered by a firefly or that reflected
by snow); hard work.

臥猪 fusu$i 3.44
Lying wild boar.
竜落子 tatsu no otoshigo 3.46
Seahorse (Hippocampus spp.).

紅葉・鹿 momiji $ shika 3.48

Maple leaves and deer. The word momiji often refers to colored leaves rather than the maple tree itself. It is
associated with deer, to the point that venison was called maple meat (momiji6niku). The cry of a lone deer
is thought to increase the feeling of solitute (sabi) typical of autumn.

蔵入 kuraire 3.50
Storing in a warehouse.

鮟鱇 ankō 3.52
Goosefish (Lophiidae spp.).

紫陽花 ajisai 3.54

Hortensia flower (Hydrangea macrophylla).

三国志 趙雲 Sangokushi. Chō'un 3.56

Annals of the Three Kingdoms; Chō'un (Zhao Yun in Chinese) was a military general who lived during the
late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China.

三国志 張飛 Sangokushi. Chō'hi 3.60

Annals of the Three Kingdoms; Chō'hi (Zhang Fei in Chinese) was a military general serving under the
warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China.

牡丹獅子 botan shishi 3.62

Peony and lion; the association is an emblem of regal power.
加藤清正 Katō Kiyomasa 3.64
Katō Kiyomasa was a Japanese daimyō of the Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods.

信玄鐔 Shingen tsuba 3.66

Takeda Shingen was a pre6eminent daimyō in feudal Japan. It is said that Takeda Shigen favoured tsuba
decorated with the weaving of copper and brass wires.

養由基 Yōyūki 3.68

Yang Youji in Chinese, legendary archer.

井手玉川・野田玉川 Ide no Tamagawa $ Noda no Tamagawa 3.72

There are six famous rivers all named Tamagawa (jewelled rivers) located in six different Japanese
prefectures. Ide refers to Kyōto, Noda to Miyagi prefecture.

夕立 yūdachi 3.76
Evening shower, sudden rain.

琴柱 koto$ji 3.80
Bridges of a koto (traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument).

ぐり彫 guribori 3.82

Style of carving in curved lines at different depth levels, in imitation of guri lacquerware

茘枝 (錦茘枝) reishi (tsuru reishi) 3.84

Lychee (Litchi chinensis).

野猪 yacho 3.86
Wild boar.
茗荷 myōga 3.88
Japanese ginger (Zingiber mioga).

千疋猿 senbiki$saru 3.90

Thousand monkeys.

蝸牛角上の争い kagyūkakujō no arasoi 3.92

Fighting over nothing; making a mountain out of a molehill

和歌透 waka sukashi 3.94

Classic Japanese poem reproduced in openwork.

鶴ケ岡八幡 Tsurugaoka Hachiman 3.96

Hachiman, tutelary kami of warriors, was worshipped in Tsurugaoka Shinto shrine in the city of Kamakura.

鞍馬天狗 Kurama tengu 3.98

Mount Kurama (north of Kyōto) was inhabited, according to popular tales, by the king of tengu, legendary
creatures mastering the arts of swordsmanship, tactics, and magic. Tengu were depicted either as human
with avian beaks, or with an unnaturally long nose.

簔亀 minogane 3.100
Mythological giant turtle known as the minogane (straw raincoat6turtle), said to live a thousand years. Its
long, hairy tail is actually seaweed and algae that have grown on its shell.

数珠 juzu 3.102
Buddhist prayer beads; a traditional tool used to count the number of times a mantra is recited whilst
meditating. They are similar to other forms of prayer beads used in various world religions; thus some call
this tool the Buddhist rosary.
牧童 hokudō 3.104
Cowboy; shepherd.

狐憑き kitsunetsuki 3.106

Possession by a fox spirit.

刀鍛治 katana$kaji 3.108

Sword forging.

二十四孝 郯子 Nijūshikō. Enshi 3.110

The Twenty6four Filial Exemplars. Enshi (Tan Zi in Chinese). Enshi's elderly parents were losing their sense
of sight and believed that doe's milk could cure them. Upon hearing that, Tan Zi covered himself with deer's
skin and got close to a doe to obtain its milk. He repeated the process every day. Once, a hunter mistook
him for a real deer and almost killed him, but Enshi revealed himself and explained the situation to the
hunter.

不動 Fudō 3.112
Fudō is one of the five guardian figures of Esoteric Buddhism.

阿倍仲麻呂 Abe no Nakamaro 3.114

Abe no Nakamaro was a Japanese scholar, administrator, and waka poet in the Nara period; he spent most
of his life in China and composed a poem on rising moon to express his homesickness for Japan.

閻魔庁 Enma$chō 3.116

Enma (Yama in Sanskrit) is a god of death, the south direction, and the underworld. Yama was introduced to
Japan through Buddhism; he holds the position as a judge who imposes decisions on the dead who have
mistreated others.[
葵祭 Aoi Matsuri 3.118
The Aoi Matsuri, or "Hollyhock Festival," is one of the three main annual festivals held in Kyōto.

祇園祭 Gion Matsuri 3.120

The Gion Matsuri, a festival that takes place annually in Kyōto and is one of the most famous festivals in
Japan. It lasts for the entire month of July and culminates in a parade. It takes its name from the Gion district
of the city.

衣川館 Koromogawa$no$tachi 3.122

The residence palace of Minamoto no Yoshitsune.

和合神 Wagōshin 3.124

A god that governs the harmony between men and women.

神農 Shinnō 3.126
Shennong in Chinese. The second of the legendary Three Emperors credited with founding Chinese
civilization, and called the Divine Husbandman. Shinnō is said to have taught the people agriculture as well
as medicine, music, and the use of fire.

本朝二十四孝 養老孝子 Honchō Nijūshikō. Yōrō Kōshi 3.128

A Kabuki drama. The water from Yōrō falls is praised for its high quality, and is mentioned in a legend that
tells the story of a dedicated son who offered the water, which tasted like sake to his ailing father who, upon
drinking it, was revived.

草摺曳 kusazurihiki 3.130

The armour6pulling scene (kusazurihiki) is a famous dance related to the tales of the Soga brothers, Soga
Gorō Tokimune and Soga Jūrō Sukenari, who plan to take revenge on their father’s murderer, the evil Kudō
Saemon Suketsune. The hot6blooded Gorō, believing his brother to be in mortal danger, rushes out from
hiding to his defense, only to be held back by the legendary warrior Kobayashi no Asahina, who pulls the
lappets of Gorō's armor to stop the impetuous young man.
出山釈迦 shussan Shaka 3.132
Buddha (Sakyamuni) coming forth from the mountains, the subject depict an emaciated and bearded Shaka
coming down from a mountain in tattered robes.

自在・茗荷 jizai $ myōga 3.134

Pothook (for hanging a pot, etc. over a fire) and Japanese ginger (Zingiber mioga).

孫悟空 Songokū 3.136

Sun Wukong in Chinese, also known as the Monkey King is a main character in the classical epic novel
Journey to the West.

笹売り sasa uri 3.138

Seller. of bamboo brooms.

角大師 Tsuno Daishi 3.140

The figure of Tsuno Daishi (Horned Great Master) is a manifestation of Ryōgen, the 18th chief abbot of
Enryaku6ji in the 10th century. He is considered a restorer of the Tendai school of Mahayana Buddhism.

網針 amihari 3.142
Netting needle.

群仙 (一) gun$sen (1) 3.144

Group of hermits.

王処一 Ōshoitsu 3.148

Wang Chuyi in Chinese (1142–1217) was one of "The Seven Perfect Ones of the North". Daoist master
depicted while watching an umbrella flying in the wind with a scroll.
花魁 oiran 3.150
Courtesan. The oiran were considered a type of yūjo "woman of pleasure" or prostitute. However, they are
distinguished from the yūjo in that they were entertainers, educated in a number of skills, including in the
traditional arts of chadō (tea ceremony), ikebana (flower arranging), and calligraphy.

雨乞小町 Amagoi Komachi 3.152

Ono no Komachi praying for rain; Komachi ends a drought by offering a poem as a prayer for rain. A waka
poet of the early Heian period, she was also renowned for her unusual beauty.

頼朝放生 Yoritomo hōjō 3.154

Release of captive animals (a Buddhist ceremony) by Minamoto no Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura
shogunate.

茶道具 chadōgu 3.156

Tea utensils or implements used in chadō, the art of Japanese tea.

小督と仲国 Kogō to Nakakuni 3.158

Nakakuni was a courtier engaged by the Emperor Takakura to find Lady Kogō in her exile. Kogō is shown
playing her koto, Nakakuni playing his flute. A story from Heike Monogatari.

牽牛・織女 Kengyū $ Shokujo 3.160

Kengyū ("Cowherd") is the personification of the star Altair. Shokujo ("Weaver") is the personification of the
star Vega. Vega and Altair respectively represent deities Orihime and Hikoboshi, allowed to meet only once
a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month; their meeting is celebrated in the Tanabata festival.
草紙洗小町 Soushi$arai Komachi 3.162
Lit. Komachi washing a book. The night before a poetry contest at the Imperial Palace, Ootomo no
Kuronushi overhears his rival, Ono no Komachi, recite her entry aloud to herself. Hoping to disqualify her, he
writes it into a copy of a book, and on the day of the competition accuses her of plagiarism. However,
Komachi washes (arai) the book (soushi), whereupon the fresh ink washed away and exposes Kuronushi's
scheme.

桜狩 sakuragari 3.164
Looking at cherry blossoms.

虎の子渡し (一) tora no ko watashi (1) 3.166

Tiger cub crossing a stream.

虎の子渡し (二) tora no ko watashi (2) 3.168

Tiger cub crossing a stream.

獅子の児落し shishi no ko otoshi 3.170

Dropping of lion's cub. According a legend the lioness used to push her cubs off a precipice, nurturing only
those with the fortitude to climb back up.

三竦 san$sukumi 3.172
Three6way deadlock. The snake can eat the frog, the frog can swallow the slug, the slug can melt the snake
(an ancient belief).

頼光と鬼同丸 Raikō to Kidōmaru 3.174

Minamoto no Yorimitsu (also known as Minamoto no Raikō), served the regents of the Fujiwara clan. In the
Kokon Chomonjū (a Kamakura6period collection of folktales) is reported that Minamoto no Raikō killed
Kidōmaru, an oni (a kind of ogre) which tried to ambush at him disguised wearing the skin of a cattle.
紅蜀葵 kōshokuki 3.176
Hibiscus spp.

狂歌 曲水 kyōka kyokusui 3.178

Kyōka are humorous poems. Kyokusui6no6en (曲水の宴 6 "Winding stream party") was a party game
played by the nobility. Participants must compose a poem beside a stream, within a time limit set by the
passage of a lacquer cup of sake floating towards them on the water.

竜田川 Tatsutagawa 3.180

In the traditional "paintings of the four seasons" (shiki6e 6 四季絵) the Tatsuta River and its red maple
leaves represent autumn.

橋合戦 一来法師 Hashi$gassen Ichirai Hōshi 3.182

The Battle at the Bridge. Ichirai Hōshi was a warrior6monk who fought alongside the Minamoto clan and
defended Uji Bridge against the advancing Taira army during the Battle of Uji in 1180. A story of Genpei
War.

源氏香 genjikō 3.184

A geometrical design pattern originally symbolizing combinations of incense fragrances. The basic pattern is
a rectangle that is divided vertically into five strips, which are connected horizontally in various ways.

南天 nanten 3.186
Heavenly bamboo; nandina (Nandina domestica).

あめんぼう (川蜘蛛) amenbō (kawagumo) 3.188

Water striders (Gerridae spp.).
烏賊 ika 3.190
Squid.

頼政和歌 Yorimasa waka 3.192

Minamoto no Yorimasa (1106–1180) was a prominent poet. He was also a warrior, leading the Minamoto
armies at the beginning of the Genpei War. Waka is a type of poetry in classical Japanese literature. Waka
are composed in Japanese, and are contrasted with poetry composed by Japanese poets in Classical
Chinese, which are known as kanshi.

忠度和歌 Tadanori waka 3.194

Taira no Tadanori (1144–1184) was one of Taira clan generals in the Genpei War against the Minamoto.
According to the Heike Monogatari, he ventured into enemy territory to Fujiwara no Shunzei's residence,
asking him to include one of his poems in the Imperial anthology of waka poetry.

巴紋 tomoe$mon 3.196
A pattern of one or more comma6like swirl or curled tadpole shapes, usually arranged in a circle.

李広射石 Rikō shaseki 3.198

Li Guang shooting a rock. The Han dynasty archer Li Guang saw a large rock in a clump of grass. Thinking
it was a tiger, he shot an arrow but with such force that it penetrated the stone.

馬師皇 Bashikō 3.200

Ma Shihuang in Chinese. An ancient, legendary practitioner of Daoist arts and horse doctor. He is usually
pictured with a large horse or riding on the back of a friendly dragon whose loyalty he had won by healing it.

芦葉達磨 royō Daruma 3.202

Bodhidharma standing on a single floating reed while crossing the Yangtze river.
野々宮 Nonomiya 3.204
A pictorial subject based on a chapter of Genji Monogatari (The Tale of Genji). Illustrations of this chapter
typically show a shrine gate of unbarked wood and the thick grasses surrounding the shrine precincts of
Nonomiya.

轆轤首 rokurokubi 3.206

The rokurokubi is a type of Japanese yōkai (ghost, apparition). They look almost completely like humans,
with long stretching neck.

六文銭 (六道銭) rokumonsen (rokudōsen) 3.208

Emblem of six coins arranged in two rows; crest of Sanada clan.

粽 chimaki 3.210
Rice cake wrapped in bamboo leaves.

面壁達磨 menpeki Daruma 3.212

Bodhidharma facing a cave6wall; a representation of a monk in meditation in a cave.

奴 (槍持奴) yakko (yarimochi$yakko) 3.214

Spearbearer; servant heading a daimyo's procession and holding the pole bearing the coat of arms.

繩暖簾 nawanoren 3.216

Rope curtain.

雪中常盤 setchū Tokiwa 3.218

Lady Tokiwa in the snow; noblewoman of the late Heian period and mother of the great samurai general
Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Lady Tokiwa is primarily associated, in literature and art, with an incident in which
she fled through the snow, protecting her three young sons within her robes.
謎 (斧、琴、菊) nazo (yoki, koto, kiku) 3.220
Riddle, pun (pattern with axe, koto bridge and chrysanthemum). The reading "yokikotokiku" is homophonic
with 良き事聞く meaning "good thing to hear".

芥子 (罌粟) keshi (keshi) 3.222

Poppy (Papaver somniferum).

仲光 Nakamitsu 3.224
In the Nō play Manjū, Nakamitsu is the tragic character of a devoted retainer who kill his own son instead to
kill his master's son.

金札・二王 Kinsatsu $ Niō 3.226

Kinsatsu is one of the oldest shrines in Fushimi; Niō are the guardian gods who stand at the entrance of a
Buddhist temple.

二十四孝 楊香 Nijūshikō. Yōkō 3.228

The Twenty6four Filial Exemplars. Yōkō (Yang Xiang in Chinese). When a tiger attacked his father, Yōkō in
desperation jumped onto the tiger and attempted to strangle it with his bare hands. The tiger released his
father and ran away.

勾玉 magatama 3.230
A bead with religious significance, usually shaped like a comma (tomoe 6 巴).

筍・蕨 takenoko $ warabi 3.232

Bamboo shoot and bracken (fern).

鼠・茄子 nezumi $ nasubi 3.234

Rat and eggplant.
塩屋 shioya 3.236
A cottage where salt is made in pans.

富士越の竜 Fujikoshi no ryū 3.238

Dragon flying over Mt. Fuji.

月見西行 Tsuki$mi Saigyō 3.240

Saigyō viewing the moon. Famous Japanese poet and wandering priest of the late Heian and early
Kamakura period. His story is reported in Saigyō Monogatari.

土筆 tsukushi 3.242
Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense).

結文 musubi$bumi 3.244
Knotted letter.

萩・鹿 hagi $ shika 3.246

Bush clover and deer.

摩利支天 Marishiten 3.248

Buddhist goddess revered as a tutelary deity of the warrior class. Later she was also worshipped as a
goddess of wealth and prosperity among the merchant class, being counted along with Daikokuten and
Benzaiten. She assumes a variety of forms and may have one, three, five or six faces and two, six, eight,
ten or twelve arms.

幽霊 yūrei 3.250
Ghost. Figure in Japanese folklore, analogous to Western legends of ghosts. The name consists of two
kanji, 幽 (yū), meaning "faint" or "dim" and 霊 (rei), meaning "soul" or "spirit".
家紋 kamon 3.252
Family crest.

氷室使 himuro no tsukai 3.254

Bringers of ice.

野馬台之詩 Yabatai no shi 3.256

Wild horse poem; a kind of riddle poem. According to a story the Chinese Emperor condemned to death an
ambassador who was unable to read a certain piece of writing; another ambassador succeeded and was
asked the same performance. A spider dropped from the ceiling upon the paper, and went from word to
word showing him how it was to be read.

花筏 hanaikada 3.258
Flower raft. A decorative, floral pattern popular in the Momoyama period. The design is said to be derived
from a flowering branch floating on water.

北斗七星 Hokutoshichisei 3.260

The Big Dipper, also known as the Plough, is an asterism of the seven brightest stars of the formal
constellation Ursa Major.

鉦 kane 3.262
A type of dish6shaped bell, beaten with a special mallet.

蝦蟇・鉄拐 Gama $ Tekkai 3.264

Two Daoist Immortals frequently paired in Chinese and Japanese painting. Gama, is easily identifiable by
the large, three6legged toad which perches on his shoulder. Tekkai is seen as a lame beggar, with a rough
hairy face, leaning on a crutch, and carrying a wine6gourd hung from his belt; usually he is pictured blowing
forth his soul which is personified as a miniature beggar.
碁盤忠信 Goban Tadanobu 3.266
Satō Tadanobu was a Japanese samurai of the late6Heian period. He was a follower of Minamoto no
Yoshitsune. A popular story regarding Satō Tadanobu's death involves him being attacked whilst playing a
game of Go. Unable to reach his weapons, he is said to have picked up the goban (the Go board) and used
it to fight off his enemies before eventually killing himself.

玩具 gangu 3.268
Children's toys.

鳩 (三枝礼鳥) hato (sanshi$no$rei tori) 3.270

Pigeon; dove (the bird sits three branches below its parent). A proverb referring to filial piety.

釈迦像・厨子 Shakazō $ zushi 3.272

Statue of Shaka (Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha) and miniature shrine with double doors (used to store
important Buddhist items such as sutras, etc.).

弓矢 yumiya 3.274
Bow and arrows.

泰山府君 Taizanfukun 3.276

The Buddhist idea of hell derived from the Daoist underworld headed by Taizanfukun and his ten attendants.
By the Tang dynasty, this folk deity was associated with the Indian god Yama, the Lord of Death, and
incorporated into popular Chinese Buddhism, and then imported into Japan during the Heian period.

竜王 Ryū$ō 3.278
Dragon King.

毘沙門天 Bishamonten 3.280

The name of the chief of the Four Heavenly Kings and an important figure in Buddhist mythology.
不動・矜羯羅童子 Fudō $ Kongara Dōji 3.282
Fudō is one of the five guardian figures of Esoteric Buddhism, represented with scowling eyebrows, sharply
upturned eyes with metal eyeballs, golden fangs against a bright red tongue in a snarling mouth and the taut
face muscles; he holds his devil6subduing sword in right hand (representing wisdom cutting through
ignorance). Kongara is one of Fudō's attendants, and looks like a child with a lotus crown.

飲中八仙 Inchūhassen 3.284

Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup; they were a group of Tang Dynasty scholars who are known for their love
of alcoholic beverages.

街道駅名 Kaidō ekimei 3.286

Road station names. Kaidō were ancient roads in Japan dating from the Edo period.

文房具 bunbōgu 3.290

Stationery items; writing implements.

鎌槍 (加藤清正) kamayari (Katō Kiyomasa) 3.292

Spear with curved cross6blades. The kamayari came into the spotlight as the personal weapon of choice of
Katō Kiyomasa, a daimyō of the Azuchi6Momoyama and Edo periods.

雉子 kiji 3.294
Green pheasant (Phasianus versicolor).

群仙 (二) gunsen (2) 3.296

Group of hermits.

百合 yuri 3.298
Lily (Lilium spp.).
横笛 yokobue 3.300
Transverse flute.

鴛鴦 oshidori 3.302
Mandarin ducks.

茶筅売り chasen'uri 3.304

Tea whisk seller.

韃靼狩 Dattan kari 3.306

Hunting Tatars.

忠度と俊成 Tadanori to Shunzei 3.308

Taira no Tadanori before leaving the capital pays a visit to the famous poet Fujiwara no Shunzei. A story of
Genpei War, reported in Heike Monogatari.

碓 (唐臼、踏臼) karausu (karausu, fumiusu) 3.310

Mortar used to pound rice or millet.

倶利迦羅合戦 Kurikara kassen 3.312

Battle of Kurikara. A crucial engagement in Japan's Genpei War; in this battle the tide of the war turned in
the favour of the Minamoto clan, leading to the Taira abandoning Kyōto.