Kataoka Takao I as Fireman Matsukichi

Firemen (tobi or hikeshi) in kabuki are a recognized character type — working-class men whose boldness and irreverence contrast with the codes of samurai drama. Matsukichi would belong to this tradition, likely costumed in a happi coat bearing a mon, with the physical bearing of an edokko (Edo commoner). Kataoka Takao I, portraying the character, is rendered by Kokei on ganpi paper, a thin, smooth Japanese sheet made from the fibers of the ganpi shrub. Ganpi's tight surface accepts ink with exceptional fidelity, sharpening the carved line and intensifying the depth of flat color areas — qualities that suit Kokei's graphic approach to actor portraiture. The choice of this substrate for a working-class character rather than a refined onnagata subject is notable; it suggests that Kokei applied the same technical seriousness to male townspeople roles as to court figures, underscoring his commitment to documenting the full range of mid-century kabuki performance.