Shodōgu yoriai uwasa hanashi 諸道具寄合噂はなし (A Gossip Meeting Between Various Tools), Utagawa Kuniyoshi

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In Kuniyoshi's print depicting one sort of transformation, objects used by humans become animated and talk to the viewer. It has long been believed in Japan that when things become old, they become enspirited, and many pictures on the theme of "One Hundred Demons" have included monsters which were originally objects. Kuniyoshi's things are not malicious; they simply reveal to humans that they have their own ideas about themselves:
"The door says, "You get late and I get the beatings"./The buckets at the well say, "Our marriage is not stable"/ The metal heel of the zori says, "I wish I could face the world!"/The bran-washing bag says, "Don't use me for your bottom and heels."/ The chapped-hand medicine says, "Maid, your salary is too low."/The sake cup says, "I take care of both love and loss.