Negoro Komizucha, from the series Biographies of the Heroes of the Great Pacification

Komizucha was a Buddhist monk of the Shingo sect at Negoro Temple. In 16th-century Japan, warrior monks, or shōhei, fought for their worldly interests and clashed with the troops of Japan's unifiers, such as Nobunaga and Hideyoshi, the latter of whom destroyed and burned Negoro Temple in 1585. This scene depicts that final battle, with Komizucha—dressed as a monk but wearing protective gear—crushing one of Hideyoshi's vassals with his Herculean strength while preparing to strike another samurai with a large mace, or kanabō. This print is number 41 in the series.

David Almazán. Exhibition “The Spirit of the Samurai”. Itiner Network 2025