The actor Ichimura Uzaemon XV in the role of fireman Megumi Tatsugorô

The print captures Ichimura Uzaemon XV as Megumi no Tatsugoro, the head of the Megumi fire brigade in the play of the great fight between the firemen and the sumo wrestlers. Uzaemon XV was among the leading tachiyaku of the early Showa stage, known for tateyaku roles that demanded both physical presence and a tachimawari capacity for stylized stage combat. Tatsugoro is the role that defines the firefighter character type in kabuki: the matoi-bearing brigade chief whose willingness to fight defends his crew's honor. Ota's composition emphasizes the masculine Edo-iki of the costume -- the half-stripped haori, the wrapped hachimaki, perhaps the matoi standard or the rolled hose in hand. Color carving for the role typically uses strong vermilion and indigo blocks against the white of the bare upper body. Within Ota's catalogue, the print represents his portraits of Uzaemon XV's tateyaku roles, balancing his more numerous studies of the leading onnagata of the same period.