Horse Mackerel, Freshwater Prawns, and Seaweed

Prawns and mackerel, harvested by the Japanese in late summer and early autumn, are typically garnished with sprigs of smartweed, a summer herb. A kyōka poem by Toshinoya no Tomiharu is inscribed at the upper right. When they are smaller prawns have a pattern on their shells that looks like the bands on a sheath. It helped the fishermen of Shibaura Beach band them together and catch them en masse.