Ichikawa Danjurô XII in the role of Soga no Gorô in the play Uirouri

This portrait shows Ichikawa Danjūrō XII (1946–2013) in the role of Soga no Gorō Tokimune in 'Uirōuri' ('The Medicine Peddler'), one of the eighteen Kabuki Jūhachiban curated by the Ichikawa lineage. Disguised as an itinerant medicine seller, Gorō delivers an extended tongue-twisting recitation listing the properties of the 'uirō' remedy. Kokei's likely ōkubi-e composition would capture a moment within the recitation, the actor's mouth slightly open, eyes fixed in the cross-eyed nirami associated with aragoto. The Ichikawa mimasu (three nested squares) crest may appear at the shoulder of the kimono, identifying the role within the family's signature repertoire. Printed by Kokei alone on ganpi paper, the design exploits the paper's near-silken surface for crisp keylines. As resident artist at the Kabuki-za, Kokei produced multiple portraits of Danjūrō XII across the Jūhachiban repertoire — a sustained record of an aragoto actor in his lineage-defining performances.