Fishing Fire (Isaribi)

Isaribi refers to the open fires once burned in iron baskets aboard fishing boats to attract squid, ayu, or other species after dark — a centuries-old practice along Japan's coasts and rivers. The subject is unusual within Morimura's largely architectural oeuvre and points to a nocturnal scene in which scattered points of orange or vermilion flame punctuate a darkened expanse of water. Such a composition lends itself to the tonal contrasts mokuhanga can achieve through dense indigo or [sumi](/glossary/sumi)-printed grounds set against saturated highlights. Reflections on the water surface would be cut as narrow vertical streaks or rendered through [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) gradations on a designated color block. The image continues a lineage of nighttime fishing scenes treated by earlier print artists, including Hiroshige, though Morimura's geometric sensibility tends to flatten such effects into pattern rather than atmospheric haze. Printed by hand on [washi](/glossary/washi) using [baren](/glossary/baren)-applied water-based pigments, the work demonstrates his interest in the seasonal and ritual rhythms of Japanese life beyond the temples and shrines that frequently anchor his oeuvre.