#Oni art series#
#Oni art free#

The paper used is low gloss matte textured and does affect the vibrance of the printed artworks slightly, but not in a bad way.

#Oni art series#

This is the companion artbook for Oni: Thunder God's Tale, the animated series directed by Daisuke Tsutsumi and produced by Tonko House for Netflix. Some Japanese art and cultural articles by Modern Tokyo Times are republished in the need to highlight the unique traits of this nation to our growing international readership.Beautiful characters in a beautiful world Global Security News – Geopolitics and Terrorism Modern Tokyo News – Tokyo News and International News Modern Tokyo Times – International News and Japan News Modern Tokyo News is part of the Modern Tokyo Times group Ukiyo-e (the Japanese name for woodblock prints of the 18th and 19th centuries) are beautiful, collectible and a sound financial investment. Please visit – On our site you will see a wonderful selection of Japanese woodblock prints for sale. Please visit for more articles and information. This fact means that the god Kashima must be alert at all times according to Japanese folklore but sadly the namazu can’t be contained indefinitely because just like the oni, the namazu is extremely cunning. According to some individuals, the catfish actually does behave strangely before natural disasters. Of course, an image by itself is always open to major interpretation but sometimes singular images can be more potent because of this fact. Therefore, an almost like smirk face persists on the namazu and it could be that the oni is impatient because he wants to collect souls to take to the pits of hell. It could just be that the namazu knows that the oni is too much for this brave individual who is trying to stop calamity from happening. The oni on the other hand looks angry and powerful. In this stunning image by Yoshitaki, it is clear that the namazu appears unconcerned by the individuals attempt to quell the power it holds according to Japanese folklore. There were popular prints of the quelling of the catfish (Namazu-e) which appeared after natural disasters such as the Ansei earthquake of 1855.” The legends of Japan say that earthquakes and tsunamis are caused by the writhing of a giant catfish (namazu) under Fuji. The figure on the left holds a giant gourd – this was known to be one of the few magical ways to quell the much feared catfish which in the print is lying compliantly underneath. Toshidama Gallery comments about this print: “This print tells a complex narrative.

Therefore, Yoshitaki in his art piece titled Oni Demon and Catfish is putting the person in the scene in a terrible dilemma. Japanese artists in the Edo period clearly highlight the oni and the same applies to Japanese literature and kabuki. The role of the oni in the folklore of Japan is very potent because when the gates of hell are opened then the power of this demon comes into play for people who have done “dark deeds” in this world. After all, the oni and namazu are great storytellers and the reality that Japan is blighted by tsunamis, earthquakes, typhoons, and other potent natural forces means that in the old world of mystery, it did appear that demonic forces were at play. In the world of ukiyo-e, the namazu and oni were popular subjects to focus on when highlighting Japanese folklore in the Edo and Meiji periods of history. These brutal forces apply to potent earthquakes and tsunamis which kill untold numbers. Therefore, when the namazu escapes from the clutches of Kashima terrible devastating forces are unleashed.

#Oni art free#

The namazu is a harbinger of devastation when breaking free from the god Kashima. In Japanese folklore, the powerful writhing of a giant catfish ( namazu) was bad news based on mythology. Therefore, the individual in this image faces the wrath of the giant catfish and the clutches of the powerful oni which is intent on collecting souls to take to the pits of hell. In the main image in this article called the Oni Demon and Catfish you have two very powerful forces at play.

Utagawa Yoshitaki (1841-1899) produced several stunning pieces of art related to the oni demon. Art of Japan and Yoshitaki: Oni Demon, Namazu, and Japanese Culture