
In this scene staged partially underwater, warrior Saitō Toshimune (1567–1647), labeled here as Toshimitsu, brawls with his enemy Nonoma Hikonojō as they sink into the river Akuta. Yoshitoshi cut the print diagonally with a line of indigo blue that delineates the surface of the water and the land above, upon which other warriors stand and wait. This print is one of five in a series titled Heroes and the Five Elements, in which Yoshitoshi paired historical events with the five elements: earth, water, fire, wind, and sky (Fire is on display nearby).