Momokawa Enkoku; Sun Wukong and Rasetsunyo

This print shows the Monkey King Sun Wukong fighting with Princess Iron Fan, as in another print nearby. But this series of prints is about more than just the Monkey King’s exploits—it’s about storytelling in general. Listening to professional storytellers was a popular form of entertainment in Japan in the 19th century. Each print in this series is devoted to a famous storyteller, in this case Momokawa Enkoku (1851–1922), who was just 17 when this print was published.