Yoshitoshi's 'Selection of 100 Warriors' (7/1868 - 3/1869)

Introduction

This series dates from early in Yoshitoshi's career, and the artwork constitutes some of his most important work of this period. It was one of his first major series, but only 65 of the 100 prints were ever published (additionally there exist sketches of several unproduced prints).

The series is renowned for its graphic and bloody depictions of warriors in battle. During the events of the Imperial Restoration (Meiji), Yoshitoshi witnessed bloody battles with his own eyes, often drawing at the scene of the battlefield; txhis influence can be clearly seen in the many blood-splattered and gruesome images below.

Technical details

• Dates: 1868 (7) - 1869 (3)
• Size: Ōban
• Signed: Ikkaisai Yoshitoshi hitsu
• Seal: Kiri
• Publishers: Ohashi (Daikyōdō)
• Text by various authors: Umpō Sanjin , Katsushika Hatamori, Seiryushi Kasen

Previous cataloguings

	Roger. S. Keyes, "Courage and Silence: A Study of the Life and
		Color Woodblock Prints of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 1839-1892",
		Cinncinnati, 1982

	Eric van den Ing, Robert Schaap, "Beauty and Violence: Japanese
		Prints by Yoshitoshi 1839-1892",
		Havilland, Eindhoven, 1992

where it appears as series #22 (pg. 13, 46-47, 108);

	Shinichi Segi, "Yoshitoshi: The Splendid Decadent",
		Tokyo, Japan, 1985

where it appears as color plates 10-14, pages 35, 40-41, 103, 112.

We use the Keyes numbers to order the prints below.

The Prints

If we have a higher-quality image, that image can be viewed by clicking on the "Large Image" link, which gives the size of the image (for the benefit of those on slow links). Sometimes there is more than one, if our best-quality image has issues (e.g. trimmed margins).

Note that for some prints in this series (e.g. #4, #6, #8, and #36), the 'large' image is not a larger version of the 'full-screen' image; this is because the quality of the print in the full-screen image is better, but we only have that image in a moderately-high resolution.

Thumbnail	Large image	Number	Date	Title (Kanji)	Title (English)	Comments
	260KB	#1	7/1868		Tsuchiya Sōzō kneeling by a fence
	258KB	#2	8/1868		Uesugi Terutora Nyudō (Kenshin) in battle helmet, looking down to the right
		#3	8/1868		Aizu Kōmon Kagekatsu examining a head.
	502KB	#4	8/1868		Susukida Hayato signalling with a flag.
	765KB	#5	8/1868		Shima Sakon Tomoyuki hit by bullets.	He is shown at the battle of Sekigahara, with his juzu (rosary) swinging in the air.
	202KB	#6	8/1868		Komagine Hachibyōe pointing rifle at viewer.
		#7	9/1868		Ashikaga Yoshiteru Kō wearing ceremonial cap and court robe.
	932KB	#8	9/1868		Hideyori's consort Kita no Kata standing by a window.
	537KB	#9	9/1868		Negoro no Hamitcha with rifle by tree
		#10	9/1868		Reisei Hangan Takatoyo dying of disembowelment (seppuku).
		#11	9/1868		Masaki Taizen Tokiyoshi standing before a mountain at left
	229KB	#12	9/1868		Ban Dan'emon rowing beside steamship
	660KB	#13	9/1868		Tsuchiya Hyōei Morimasa with spear looking back at flames
	732KB	#14	9/1868		Obata Sukerokurō Nobuyo commits seppuku at Omiji temple.
	776KB	#15	10/1868		Oto no Miya (Morinaga Shinno), son of Emperor Go-Daigo, lifting a sedge hat over his head
		#16	10/1868		Shigeno Daisuke raising hand to brow
	220KB	#17	10/1868		Katagiri Tōichi no Kami Katsumoto writing a document
	720KB	#18	10/1868		Kimura Nagashito no Kami Shigenari examining a helmet
		#19	10/1868		Gotō Matabei Mototsugu on horseback with banner of Naitō Masanaga.
	201KB	#20	10/1868		Sakuma Daigaku drinking blood from a severed head
		#21	10/1868		Sakai Kyuzō hurling a spear
	517KB	#22	10/1868		Hirate Kenmotsu raising a baton
		#23	10/1868		Onikojima Yatarō with two severed heads and sword.	Yatarō was an Uesugi warrior.
	187KB	#24	10/1868		Saitō Kuranosuke bound with rope
	240KB	#25	10/1868		Akechi Samanosuke beside a cannon
		#26	10/1868		Hata no Kiriwaka supporting a comrade
	226KB	#27	10/1868		Sagino ike Heikurō holding a severed head	He was a retainer of the Kusunoki family, renowned for his strength.
	233KB	#28	11/1868	森 坊丸	Mori Bōmaru	He is shown facing left, with a sword raised over his head.
	721KB	#29	11/1868	森 力丸	Mori Rikimaru	He is shown holding an upright spear, and a pair of severed heads.
		#30	12/1868		Kingo Chunagon Hideaki looking up at ghost.
		#31	12/1868		Kusunoki Masatsura, eldest son of Masashige, tightening armor with sash.
		#32	12/1868		Tenkai Sōjō with bald head and fan	A priest, he died in 1643 at the age of 108.
		#33	12/1868		Shigeno Saemonnosuke Yukimura giving water to a wounded soldier.	Yukimori was a daimyo who served first Hideyoshi, and then Hideyori. He attempted to assasinate Tokugawa Ieyasu.
	273KB	#34	12/1868		Mori Ranmaru (Nagayasu) by a window with a spear	Ranmaru was an attendant to Oda Nobunaga, and committed seppaku with him at Honnōji temple in 1582.
	474KB	#35	12/1868		Katakura Kojurō Munesada in battle dress facing left.
	837KB	#36	1868		Hashiba Taikō Toyotomi Hideyoshi Ko holding a child on his shoulder.
	262KB	#37	1868		Date Shōshō Masamune in armor looking at banner.
	230KB	#38	1868		Odera Sagami holding sword with impaled head.
	747KB	#39	1868		Torii Hikoemon Mototada shooting himself with rifle.
	246KB	#40	1868		Sagara Tōtomi no Kami peering over pile of mats.
	255KB	#41	1868		Akashi Gidayu loading rifle in rain.
		#42	1868		Hida no Tatewaki waring a red wig.
	254KB	#43	1868		Kan Izumi aiming rifle from behind rice bales.
		#44	1868		Geki Magohachi in smoke and rifle fire.
		#45	1868		Suzuki Magoichi leaning on a spear and eating a riceball.
	467KB	#46	1868		Amanoya Rihei bound to a post.
	602KB	#47	1868		Sugenoya Kuemon supporting himself in wind on sword.
	269KB	#48	1868		Suzuki Hida no Kami Shigeyuki aiming pistol.	Here he lies in ambush, attempting to shoot Oda Nobubaga.
	652KB	#49	12/1868		Horji Tsuneemon crucified.	He was a retainer of Okudaira Nobumatsu, who died in 1575.
		#50	1/1869		Shigeno Yuzaemon and an exploding shell.
Image needed		#51	3/1869		Miki Ushinosuke ducking a bullet.
	654KB	#52	3/1869		Shingu Samanosuke Masanaga raising sword in rain.
Image needed		#53	3/1869		Gamō Daizen with hat tied around neck
	896KB	#54	3/1869		Kosuge Gorobei peering around post
	743KB	#55	3/1869		Matsubara Kyubei in armor leaning on spear
	548KB	#56	3/1869	田中 宦八	Tanaka Kanhachi falling in mud
Image needed		#57	3/1869		Tarao Hanzaemon creeping below rifle fire
		#58	3/1869		Saōdō Gempachi in armor holding a standard
	518KB	#59	3/1869	松永 春松	Matsunaga Harumatsu raising hands
		#60	3/1869		Iwama Kokuma with painting of bloody head on jacket.
	465KB	#61	3/1869		Sakuma Dennai using bamboo fence as shield
	343KB	#62			Shibata Iga no Kami Katsutoyo wearing headband and facing right.	He defended Nagahama castle, and surrendered to Hideyoshi in 1583.
	305KB	#63			Inoue Gorobei raising sword by stone lantern
		#64			Munekata Kamon with spear in snow
Image needed		#65			Wakasa no Tsubone, a woman with a spear