Pulling Pine Shoots on the Day of the Rat 1882

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi created this woodblock print titled, "Pulling Pine Shoots on the Day of the Rat". Yoshitoshi lived through a tumultuous time of social change as Japan opened to the West. His work captures the tensions between tradition and modernity. Here, Yoshitoshi depicts a scene deeply embedded in Japanese folklore and courtly tradition. The Day of the Rat was celebrated by the imperial court, when women would venture out to gather young pine trees, symbolizing longevity and renewal. The scene is subverted through the exaggerated and somewhat grotesque depictions of the women. They are adorned in vibrant red hakama pants and are rendered with distorted expressions. The print seems to question the idealized images of women that were prevalent during that time. "Pulling Pine Shoots" invites us to reflect on the evolving roles of women, and the shifting cultural landscape of Meiji-era Japan. Yoshitoshi challenges us to reconsider traditional representations and to find beauty in the unconventional.