Yügao

Catalog note / 解説

This print depicts the ghost of Lady Rokujö from the fourth chapter of The Tale of Genji. In the story, Lady Rokujö's jealous spirit is rumored to have possessed and killed two of Genji's ladies; Yügao and Genji's first wife, Aoi. The early nineteenth century was the beginning of a decadent period. The eleventh Tokugawa Shögun Ienari (active 1787-1837) was uninterested in governing the country and spent his time pursuing pleasurable activities. As a result, the economy began to decline. The development of a monetary system caused many samurai to become impoverished. At the same time, some commoners began to attain wealth. As the mass Edo culture matured, jaded townspeople began to seek more…