Actor Ichikawa Sadanji as Hishikawa Gengobei, Taishô period, circa 1923

Produced circa 1923 during the Taishō period, this yakusha-e portrays Ichikawa Sadanji in the role of Hishikawa Gengobei, a character associated with kabuki plays depicting the milieu of gamblers, merchants, and outlaws in Edo-period urban society. Ichikawa Sadanji II was among the most prominent actors of the Meiji and Taishō eras, known for his work in both classical and shin-kabuki productions. Yoshikawa renders the figure with the documentary precision of a costume historian, capturing the specific garments and accessories that identify the character's social station — likely a short-sleeved kimono with distinctive mon (family crest) and the bearing of a tachiyaku (male lead) role. The treatment reflects the shin-hanga era's interest in elevating the actor portrait genre through refined printing technique and greater psychological nuance than the earlier Edo period yakusha-e tradition.