Posted by Dan (24.58.4.235) on January 07, 2006 at 21:50:39:
In Reply to: Re: Expulsion of Yoshitora by Kuniyo posted by Hans Olof Johansson on January 06, 2006 at 14:24:31:
Hi Hans Olof and Andrew,
I can add only one thing to this interesting discussion, which is the interpretation of the mochi-making print and its poem, and why it got Yoshitora in trouble.
One of the reasons that the Tokugawa authorities were so harshly opposed to images or books depicting them and their history is that the rise to power of the Tokugawa Clan at the end of the sixteenth century was not a clean, pure triumph over all challengers, but a rather duplicitous, at worst even immoral (by Confucian standards, although nothing so unusual under the circumstances of the time) reneging of alliances and agreements. Crudely put, they had other leaders (Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi) do all the dirty work of unification, and when their clans were weakened through these labors, stepped in at the end to take all the benefit.
This is the point of view of the mochi-making print, which relies on a common ukiyo-e theme showing the steps of mochi preparation for the New Year (usually with beautiful women) but also on a popular rakushu (satirical verse) describing the unification of rule in the late 1500s as mochi making. In this piece, Oda Nobunaga and Azechi Mitsuhide pound the rice, Toyotomi Hideyoshi kneads the dough, but only Tokugawa Ieyasu eats the mochi.
The verse here plays with the meanings of katameru (harden, as in mochi, but also come together/solidify, as in rule). So "kimi ga yo wo tsuki-katameri" means to make the reign firm and secure, but "tsuki-katameri" (strike and make firm) also goes with "haru no mochi".
The poem itself is not the cause of affront here, as it's actually quite auspicious in tone and suitable for the New Year, but it summons up the rakushu, which makes the politically satirical reading of the image certain.
It's interesting that, although signed, the print bears no censor seal.