Details

Yamamura Toyonari produced some of the most iconic actor portraits in 20th century Japan. This okubi-e of the actor Matsusuke Onoe IV as Komori Yasu (The Bat) has become instantly recognizable in the shin hanga genre. Komori Yasu was a rogue, and his nickname was derived from the bat tattoo on his cheek. This character appears in the play Yowa Nasake Ukina Yokogushi that was performed in Tokyo in 1916. In the play, Komori Yasu and his crime partner Kirare Yosaburo attempt to extort money from Yosaburo’s former lover Otomi. This powerful design depicts Komori Yasu in a moment of contemplation, only an instant before the resolve of his criminal acts, which result in his exile. The portrait immortalizes Yasu and perhaps creates an archetype for all criminals to emulate—the original Scarface.

Connoisseur's Note

This print is one of twelve koban-size (postcard-size) prints produced in 1915 for the magazine Shin Nigao. The magazine’s purpose was to advertise Kabuki theatre and rekindle interest in actor prints. It’s interesting to note that this design was so successful that it caught the eye of Watanabe Shozaburo, the shin hanga publisher, who hired Toyonari to produce a larger scale, oban-size version of this print. Watanabe was quite taken by this design in that his larger oban version is a faithful reworking of this smaller work. The larger version can be seen in our archive here.