About This Print
At the top of this "news nishiki'e", in the banner held aloft by two cherubs, is the name of the newspaper who sponsored it, the Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shinbun 東京日々新聞. From what little I've been able to understand from the transcription of the text on the print, it tells the story of an angry sumo fan, a Mr. Yamada, attending a sumo match near Hamamatsu station in Tōtōmi Province, who argues with the promoter about a refund of his ticket fee, as the rain has interfered with part of the wrestling match. At one point he jumps into the ring and tears down a curtain and creates quite a commotion. As we can see from the graphic, the promoter is in some pain from returning Mr. Yamada's fee.
For a summary of the brief life of nishiki-e shinbun (newspaper color woodblock prints) see the article Nishiki-e shinbun and Newspapers in Meiji Japan.
Japanese Transcription of Text
Source: University of Tokyo website http://www.lib.iii.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ono_collection/contents/item.6.N094.html
遠（とをと） 江国（うミのくに） 浜松駅（はままつじゆく）にて。山田某（やまだなにがし）とかいふ者
が勧進元（かんじんもと）にて大角力（おおすまふ）の第
三日目の興行半（こうきやうなかバ）に。降出（ふりだ）す
雨（あめ）ゆゑ半札（はんふた）を渡（わた）して置（おい）て
其後（そののち）に。札（ふだ）を持来（もてく）る見物（けんぶつ）
にも定価（ていか）を減（けん）ぜぬ
不條理（ふでうり）ハ。年寄（としより）どもと
木戸番（きどばん）の計（はから）ひなりと
聞（きく）よりも。山田（やまだ）ハ大い
に腹（はら）を立（たち）。長（なが）き刀（かたな）
を腰（こし）に佩（おび）土俵（どへう）の中へ
躍入（おどりいり）。四本柱（はしら）に張（はり）た
る幕（まく）を取（とつ）て引裂（ひきさ）き
暴動（あばれ）
し挙句（あげく）に。
我（わが）眼前（めのまへ）にて
木戸銭（きどせん）を見物方に
返（かへ）さずや。否（いな）と言（いい）なバ
一々（いちいち）に撫切（なでぎり）なるぞと
罵（ののし）るにぞ。猛（たけ）き力士（りきし）も
当然（たうぜん）の理（り）にハ刃向（はむか）ふ
事ならず。遂（つひ）に土俵（どへう）
も取崩（とりくづ）して角力ハ
廃止（おやめ）になりしとぞ
木挽町の隠士
転々堂主人略記
Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #1288 |
| Title or Description | Angry Sumo Fan Demands Refund (千五十号 [四] No. 1050) |
| Newspaper | Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shinbun 東京日々新聞 |
| Artist | Utagawa Yoshiiku (1833-1904) |
| Signature |  |
| Seal | 芳幾 Yoshiiku (see above) |
| Writer of Text |  Takabatake Ransen 高畠藍泉 (1838-1885)- pen name Tentendō 転々堂 - a Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shinbun writer who wrote most of the stories that accompanied Yoshiiku's pictures for Gusokuya's Tokyo nichinichi shinbun.1 Writers signature and unread seal: 転々堂主人略 記 Tentendō Shujin ryaku writer |
| Publication Date | June 25, 1875 |
| Publisher |  Gusokuya Kahei 具足屋嘉兵衛, [Marks: pub. ref. 085; seal ref. 24-031]seal reading: top: 人形町 Ningyōchō bottom: 具足屋 Gusokuya |
| Carver |  ホリ エイ |
| Impression | excellent |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | fair - damage to prints margins |
| Genre | ukiyo-e; nishiki-e shinbun |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Format | vertical oban |
| H x W Paper | 14 1/8 x 9 1/2 in. (35.9 x 24.1 cm) |
| H x W Image | 13 5/8 x 9 in. (34.6 x 22.9 cm) |
| Literature | |
| Collections This Print | The University of Tokyo Digital Archives Ono Hideo Collection N094 |
4/8/2020
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