Yujuriho No II

Yuzuriho — Daphniphyllum macropodum — is an evergreen tree whose glossy lance-shaped leaves carry strong New Year associations in Japan, since older leaves drop only after new growth has fully formed, making the plant a domestic emblem of generational continuity. Ikeda's depiction would render the dense whorls of stiff leaves with the long red petioles characteristic of the species, set against either bare stems or the small, petalless flower clusters that appear in spring. The compositional demand lies in differentiating mature dark green foliage from the lighter new growth — territory where shin-hanga bokashi gradations operate effectively, the printer drawing graduated washes of pigment across the moistened block before each impression. As the second print in Ikeda's lengthy numbered plant sequence, Yuzuriho represents the auspicious-symbol category that grounds kacho-e in seasonal and ceremonial life, and signals early in the series an intent toward methodical botanical survey rather than dramatic narrative composition.