A warrior fighting a many-headed dragon, his sword in his hand.
Tada no Mitsunaka, from the series Twenty-four Generals for the Katsushika Poetry Club, Katsushika nijushisho.
Minamoto no Mitsunaka (913-97), also called Tada no Mitsunaka as he lived in Tada in Settsu Province, was a military general and skilful archer of whom Edmunds writes that 'he seems to have been more celebrated for his dreams than any other form of activity'. The incident illustrated here also seems to relate to this activity. One day, while on a hunting expedition, he fell asleep under a tree, and a lady appeared in his dreams and presented him with a horse. He mounted the horse and then used his bow and arrows to kill a large snake that was pestering her. In view of the quite common interchangeability of snakes and dragons, this appears to be the incident depicted in the print. Keyes, suggesting confusion with Susanoo, probably has too high an expectation of the designer's general knowledge of history, although it must be admitted that such expectations may be justified in Gakutei's case at least.
One poem by Hisakataya Misora [a leader of the Hisakatayaren].
Issued by the Katsushikaren
Signature reading: Gakutei, with seal: Sadaoka
