The actor Ichikawa Udanji I as Sugawara no Michizane in the play "Shinrei Sugawara Jikki," performed at the Haruki Theater in the fourth month, 1883 1883

This woodblock triptych by Toyohara Kunichika, made in 1883, portrays the actor Ichikawa Udanji I as Sugawara no Michizane amidst crackling lightning. In Japanese art, lightning is a powerful symbol, often associated with divine wrath or supernatural events. Here, lightning suggests Michizane’s transformation into a vengeful spirit. His intense gaze and raised hand echo images of Zeus wielding thunderbolts, a motif traversing cultures to signify supreme power. Notice the pipe clenched in his teeth. This seemingly innocuous detail also appears in depictions of demons, emphasizing Michizane’s descent into darkness. Such recurring motifs reveal how archetypes persist, shaping our collective understanding of wrath and transformation, resurfacing across time, each instance layering new meanings onto the old. The artist draws upon our deepest fears, engaging us on a primal level.