Original and rare, Taisho Period Japanese Yoshitoshi Woodblock Print Picture 
Artist:  YOSHITOSHI  Tsukioka (1839 -1892)
Editor:  Ogawa Enson 
Producer:  Fuzoku Emaki Zuga Kankokai Nishikiebu 
Date & Publishing Company:  Tokyo, Yoshikawa Kobunkan, Taisho Period, 6th year (1917) 
1st Edition
Title:  From the series, Kinsei kyogi den (Stories of chivalry in recent times)  It's a Taisho Period re-strike; posthumous edition.
Warrior depicted in this scene:  Seiriki Tomigoro

Description: 100% Japanese genuine & authentic woodblock print picture from the Taisho Period.  Very good colors and impressions.  Condition is very good with just a bit of brown spotting here and there.  Please see and judge from photos.
 
Size of woodblock print picture:  24 cm x 15 cm 
 
The story has it that Seiriki Tomigoro wanted to avenge the murder of his boss/master, Shigezo, who was murdered by a rival clan.  So Seiriki and his friends, the Mizushima brothers, went out and avenged their master's death.  Afterwards, since they were left masterless, like a lot of samurai who end up this way, they ended up killing themselves. That kind of loyalty many of them had, follow your master to the end no matter what.  The ronin ideal may appeal to a lot in the West, but it actually had quite a number of negative connotations to the Japanese warrior, hence the suicide path.