7. Inaba Mountain moon (Inabayama no tsuki)

In this scene from the Chronicles of the Taiko, Konoshita Tokichi (1536-1598), son of a peasant who later became the famous Toyotomi Hideyoshi (print #66), leads a successful advance party of seven against the supposedly impregnable Saito clan castle atop Mount Inaba. Hideyoshi's brilliant career made him the prime candidate to become Shogun in 1585. In order to deal with his low birth he was given the title of Kwampaku (Regent), and the family name Toyotomi. In 1590 he was succeeded by his adopted son Hidetsugu (print #75), and took for himself the title of Taiko, or retired Regent, by which he is generally known. (printed December 1885)