Captain Asakawa's heroic solo engagement — a cavalry scout who, cut off from his unit, turned and fought an entire Qing patrol before escaping — is depicted in this 1895 [triptych](/glossary/triptych) as the defining act of individual valor in the First Sino-Japanese War's Manchurian phase. Kiyochika produced the Asakawa episode in multiple versions across 1894–95, each treating a different phase of the narrative. This triptych version shows the heroic fight itself, Asakawa's mounted figure surrounded by adversaries, sword raised against the multiple opponents his legend described.
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Woodblock print
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
The Heroic Fight of Cavalry Scout Captain Asakawa was created by Kobayashi Kiyochika (小林清親) in 1895 (Meiji 28).
The Heroic Fight of Cavalry Scout Captain Asakawa depicts landscapes, figures, and warriors.
The Heroic Fight of Cavalry Scout Captain Asakawa measures 37.5 × 72.5 cm (Oban triptych format).
