No. 4: Chinese boys playing a raffle game, from the series "Children Say 'This is Japan!' and Imitate the Games They See in Picturebooks (Yodo iu koitsu wa Nippon, ezoshi o mite yori sono gai ni asobu)" c. 1791

Torii Kiyonaga created this print, “Chinese boys playing a raffle game,” employing ink and color on paper. The game itself is a potent symbol. These children are not merely playing; they are engaging in a ritual that echoes the randomness of fate, a theme deeply rooted in human experience. Notice the multitude of tiny vessels on the floor, prizes for the lucky winners. This imagery hearkens back to earlier depictions of Fortuna, the Roman goddess of fortune. Observe how this motif of chance and reward transcends borders and centuries. It resurfaces in medieval European gambling scenes, and even in contemporary casino imagery. Like the ever-spinning wheel of fortune, this motif recurs, reflecting our collective fascination with destiny. Each time it reappears, it carries echoes of past hopes and fears, engaging viewers on a subconscious level with the eternal questions of luck, chance, and the human desire to control the uncontrollable.