As the Japanese bayonets draw nearer to Port Arthur, Russian forces make more desperate [?] for safety

This Russo-Japanese War print (1904–1905) depicts a moment from the prolonged siege of Port Arthur, when Russian garrison forces, under increasing Japanese pressure, resorted to more desperate defensive measures as Japanese infantry advanced. The partial title suggests a narrative caption common in Meiji war prints that framed visual scenes within journalistic reportage conventions. Kiyochika likely renders a close-quarters infantry engagement, with Japanese soldiers advancing under fire while Russian defenders mount a visible last-ditch resistance. The siege of Port Arthur became one of the defining campaigns of the war, lasting from August 1904 to January 1905 and producing enormous casualties on both sides. Kiyochika produced numerous Port Arthur prints, employing diagonal compositional thrust and smoke-filled atmosphere to convey the chaos and scale of modern industrialized warfare.