The Actor Onoe Kikugoro I as Tokiwa in the play "Tonozukuri Genji Junidan," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the eleventh month, 1744 1744

Torii Kiyomasu II created this woodblock print in 1744, depicting the actor Onoe Kikugoro I as Tokiwa in the play "Tonozukuri Genji Junidan." Prints such as this one served as publicity for the Kabuki theater in Japan. Kabuki was popular with the merchant classes, who were eager for representations of their own culture. This is evident here, as the actor is given prominence in the composition, elevated above nature. The print also creates meaning through cultural references. The plum blossom and birds represent spring, a metaphor for renewal and the fleeting nature of beauty, resonating with Buddhist ideas about the transience of life. Historical records such as playbills, diaries, and theater reviews would help us understand how Kabuki functioned as a social institution in Japan. This print reveals the complex interplay between art, entertainment, and the social fabric of 18th-century Japan.