Abe Hirafu

This February 1880 print depicts Abe no Hirafu, a seventh-century Japanese general celebrated for leading naval expeditions to northern Japan and the Korean peninsula. As a historical subject from the distant Asuka period, Hirafu was a somewhat unusual choice compared to the more popular Sengoku and Edo-era warriors, suggesting Yoshitoshi's broad engagement with Japanese military history across all periods. The print belongs to his output for illustrated newspapers and periodicals that characterized his work during the 1870s and early 1880s.