「日本万歳 百撰百笑」「ちゃんちゃんの胆潰し 骨皮道人」
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Waseda University
- Image courtesy of
- Waseda University
Description
From 'Nihon Banzai! Hyakusen Hyakushō,' this sheet bears the subtitle 'Chanchān no kimotsubushi' (ちゃんちゃんの胆潰し, roughly 'Crushing the Courage of the Chinese'), with 'chanchān' being a period derogatory reference to Chinese people that signals the series' frankly chauvinistic register. The image depicts Qing soldiers overcome with terror before Japanese military force, rendered in exaggerated postures of fear or collapse contrasted with an implied or visible Japanese presence. Kiyochika's satirical prints in this series use distorted anatomy and comic staging to amplify their propagandistic message, drawing on conventions from earlier Edo-period popular illustration — particularly kisha-e (caricature prints) — while adapting them to contemporary wartime subjects. Produced under the Kokkepidōjin pen name, the sheet circulated as disposable entertainment before acquiring its present historical significance.
More Prints by Kobayashi Kiyochika
Frequently Asked Questions
「日本万歳 百撰百笑」「ちゃんちゃんの胆潰し 骨皮道人」 was created by Kobayashi Kiyochika (小林清親).