The ghost of Kiyotaka (a traitor to the emperor who had been ordered to commit seppuku) haunted the Imperial Palace at Yoshino. He terrorized the courtiers until the lady-in-waiting Iga-no Tsubone faced the ghost and convinced him to depart. Yoshitoshi captures the eerie power of the ghost as clawed fingers curl around the cartouche and golden eyes stare madly at the visitor. Tsubone stands tall and unafraid, her long hair flowing down her back as autumn leaves fall around her. A strong, fearless woman, she provides a calm to the scene, a voice of reason to counter the ghost’s leering grin.
Appearance List Traditional folk legend, Sanemori (Noh, c. 14th–15th century), Yotsuya Kaidan (Kabuki, 1825). Print by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi titled Mount Yoshino, Midnight‑Moon: Iga no Tsubone and the Ghost of Kiyotaka (1886).
Sample Read Tsukioka Yoshitoshi Archive at Ronin Gallery [Ronin Gallery]
Description The ghost of Kiyotaka (a traitor to the emperor who had been ordered to commit seppuku) haunted the Imperial Palace at Yoshino. He terrorized the courtiers until the lady-in-waiting Iga-no Tsubone faced the ghost and convinced him to depart. Yoshitoshi captures the eerie power of the ghost as clawed fingers curl around the cartouche and golden eyes stare madly at the visitor. Tsubone stands tall and unafraid, her long hair flowing down her back as autumn leaves fall around her. A strong, fearless woman, she provides a calm to the scene, a voice of reason to counter the ghost’s leering grin.
