Nakamura Utaemon III als Asahina Saburô in het toneelstuk ‘Hônen uruoi Soga’, Kado Theater 1832 - 1838

This is a woodblock print by Shunbaisai Hokuei, made in Japan around the 1830s, depicting the actor Nakamura Utaemon III as Asahina Saburô in the play ‘Hônen uruoi Soga’. Japanese woodblock prints, known as ukiyo-e, gained popularity during the Edo period, catering to a growing urban middle class with an appetite for images of kabuki actors, beautiful women, and landscapes. The Kabuki theatre was a cultural institution, a commercial enterprise, and a highly stylized, politically charged, popular entertainment. Woodblock prints of actors were a kind of advertising, and the actors were the superstars of their day. Here, Nakamura Utaemon III is shown in character, with elaborate costume and makeup, standing on giant toads. The inscription suggests the print commemorates a specific performance at the Kado Theater. The artist, Hokuei, was a member of the Osaka school of printmaking. To fully understand this image, we need to understand the Kabuki tradition, the star system that supported it, and the commercial imperatives that drove the production of ukiyo-e prints. By consulting playbills, theater records, and biographical information, we can better understand the social and institutional context that produced this striking image.