Pine, Bamboo, Plum: Picture at Yushima, Matsui Eikichi; 月岡芳年 Tsukioka Yoshitoshi

Archive Label 2003 (version 1):
Yoshitoshi first captured this dramatic moment in a painting of an historical event, drawing on the popularity of the story which was retold over ensuing centuries through No drama and Kabuki plays. In 1681, Oshichi, a greengrocer’s daughter in Edo (Tokyo), set fire to her own house in the Yushima district in hopes of rejoining a man she had fallen in love with during an earlier city blaze. Her family was forced to seek refuge in the nearby Enjo-ji temple, where she had met the handsome youth. Unfortunately the fire spread quickly, and Oshichi’s naïve plan came to a tragic end. As arson was a capital offense in the city of wood and paper construction, she was burned alive in punishment. This image shows Oshichi trying to escape the flames by climbing a bamboo ladder up the Yushima watchtower. Seen below is a brigade of firemen rallying around standards held aloft that bear the district’s recognizable emblem. The men are completely covered in layers of heavy water-soaked clothing that provided some protection while they battled fires and safeguarded the city’s inhabitants.

Archive Label 2003 (version 2):
This scene is based on an event that took place in the Yushima district of Edo (Tokyo) in 1683. Ihara Saikaku featured the story in his famous novel, Five Women Who Loved Love, and it was further popularized by the Bunraku (puppet) and Kabuki theaters.

Oshichi, a greengrocer’s daughter, had fallen in love with a handsome young acolyte at Enjo-ji when her family took refuge in that temple after a fire had destroyed their house. Hoping to meet Kichisaburo- again, Oshichi deliberately set fire to the rebuilt house. The blaze quickly engulfed surrounding houses, however, and Oshichi’s naïve plan came to a tragic end. Arson was a capital offense in a crowded city where houses were built of wood, paper and straw, and Oshichi was executed for her offense.

This image shows Oshichi trying to escape the smoke and leaping flames by climbing a bamboo ladder up the Yushima watchtower. The dramatic upward movement captured in the tall, narrow format of this vertical diptych skillfully communicates her panic and vertigo. Seen below is a brigade of firemen rallying around standards bearing the district’s distinctive emblem. The men’s thick quilted costumes have been soaked in water to protect them from the blaze.

The title-Pine, Bamboo, Plum -links Oshichi with the Confucian virtues of perseverance (pine trees stay green throughout the winter), resilience (bamboo bends in a storm but does not break) and fortitude (the delicate plum blossoms in the bitter cold of late winter). The title serves to exonerate Oshichi for her crime by emphasizing instead her fortitude, courage and steadfast love.

Archive Label date unknown:
This dramatic scene of a beautiful young girl trying to escape the flames of a fierce blaze is based on a true story. In 1683, Oshichi, a grocer's daughter in the Yushima district in Edo, fell in love with a handsome acolyte at a nearby temple when her family took refuge there during an earlier fire. Oshichi longed to see the young priest again and decided to repeat history by setting fire to her family's rebuilt house. Sadly, her naive plan came to a tragic end when the fire quickly grew out of control and spread through the district. Arson was a capitol offense and Oshichi was convicted for her crime and executed.

Fires were always a serious threat to the thin wood and paper buildings in the ten districts of Edo. Each district supported its own fire brigade of men who enjoyed celebrity status for their brave exploits. In this print firemen are seen completely covered in water-soaked, heavy cotton garments for protection and are carrying standards with their district emblem to provide rallying points for fighting the blaze.