Sasaki Moritsuna Bizen no kuni Fujito no watari ni Heigun o osowanto gyojin ni mizu no senshin o tou zu

This nishiki-e print triptych by Mizuno Toshikata was created while he was still studying under Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. Published in 1884, it is probably his first work signed with his artist name “Mizuno Toshikata” and marks his debut as an artist.

The piece depicts a dramatic scene from The Tale of the Heike, an epic account of the power struggle between rival the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of medieval Japan.

In the cartouche at the upper right, Toshikata describes the scene as follows: Sasaki Moritsuna Asking Fisherman to Reveal the Shallows Where His Troops Can Cross and Attack the Taira Forces at Fujito in Bizen Province.

This imagined scene is set before the historical events that took place in 1184, leading to the Battle of Fujito, which was fought in an area of present-day Kurashiki City. There, Sasaki Moritsuna — a military commander in league with the Minamoto clan — crossed the channel at Fujito on horseback and led an attack on Taira Mori’s forces on the opposite shore, at Kojima.

According to The Tale of the Heike, Sasaki Moritsuna was shown by a young fisherman to a shallow area where he could cross the sea on horseback when the tide ebbed. However, worried that the fisherman might tell others about the shallows, Moritsuna killed the fisherman and sank his body into the depths of the sea. This story inspired the Noh play Fujito, where Moritsuna must then face the grieving mother and the fisherman’s enraged ghost.

Following his debut, Mizuno Toshikata developed a special interest in historical subjects and created various pieces set in medieval times. Toshikata carefully researched the periods he depicted and collected antique weapons and armor, using them as references for his work.