Actor Segawa Kikunojō III as Yasukata, a young girl, from the Kabuki play Godai Genji Mitsugi no Furisode (Nakamura-za Theatre)

Katsukawa Shunshō (active early 18th century; place of birth unknown) first studied under Miyagawa Shunsui and later established the Katsukawa school. His apprentices included Katsukawa Shunko, Shun’ei, and Shuncho, as well as Katsushika Hokusai, who began his career under the name Shunrō. Unlike the Miyagawa school, which specialized primarily in hand-painted works, Shunshō was active in both paintings and woodblock prints, excelling in actor portraits and images of beauties.
In the field of actor prints, he broke from the conventional stylized approach of the Torii school by introducing a new mode of realistic likeness known as “nigao,” thereby establishing a more naturalistic style of portraiture. He also pioneered the upper-body format that would later evolve into the ōkubi-e (large-head portraits) of Sharaku and others, exerting a major influence on the development of actor prints.
Shunshō was also active in the literary world, participating in the Edoza Haikai group that traced its lineage to Matsuo Bashō. His works often incorporated elements of classical aesthetics, producing mitate-e (pictures that implicitly refer to classical elements) and other compositions that drew upon traditional themes within the familiar settings of the pleasure quarters and the theater district. In his later years, he painted refined images of women distinguished from those of his contemporarie for their elegance and sensitivity. Hokusai is said to have left the Katsukawa school largely because of the impact of Shunshō’s death.

This work depicts the onnagata actor Segawa Kikunojō III (1751–1810). Widely regarded as one of the foremost performers of Edo kabuki, he was celebrated for his mastery of both shosa (dance) and jigei (acting), and is said to have attained the rare distinction of serving as zato (head of the troupe)—a position typically reserved for male-role specialists. He is also remembered for premiering enduring works such as Tsumoru Koi Yuki no Sekinoto, which continues to be performed today.
This print shows Kikunojō in the role of Yasukata from Godai Genji Mitsugi no Furisode. In classical literature, including waka poetry and The Tale of Genji, the motif of the sleeve often appears not simply as an article of clothing but as a symbol of the wearer’s very presence and identity. Here, the detached sleeve held by Kikunojō bears an inscription resembling a poem attributed to Minamoto no Yoshiie. By incorporating multiple classical references, including the theme of “Utō Yasukata,” the print reflects both the refined aesthetic sensibility of Katsukawa Shunshō and the way kabuki drama engaged deeply with the classical literary tradition.