Picture of Raikō and his Four Companions Conquering the Demon of Mount Ōe

In this triptych, legendary warrior Minamoto Raikō and his four loyal retainers, along with courtier Fujiwara no Yasumasa, face off against the demon Shuten dōji of Mount Ōe. Raikō stands at the bottom of the center print, his gaze locked onto his enemy, while the other men brandish their swords and women flee. Shuten dōji was a red-skinned demon who abducted young people in Kyoto and liked to drink sake. Raikō sneaked into the demon’s lair in Mount Ōe and attacked him while he slept. The legend was a popular one, adapted into Noh and Kabuki theater plays and commonly depicted by ukiyo-e designers.