Nishin- Herrings

The herring (ニシン, nishin, Clupea pallasii) was one of the most economically significant fish in Japanese history, particularly in Hokkaido where herring fisheries drove Meiji-era industrial development. Ohno Bakufu's inclusion of the nishin in his 'Dai Nihon Gyorui Gashu' reflects both its ecological importance and its cultural resonance. Herrings are schooling fish, and Ohno likely depicts multiple specimens together, their silver flanks and streamlined bodies arranged in a compositional pattern that conveys the fish's gregarious nature. The herring's characteristic blue-green dorsal coloration and bright silver sides require careful bokashi application to render the iridescent quality of the scales. The absence of a lateral line on the herring is a subtle anatomical detail Ohno would have captured.