Blockhead

This woodblock series, created during the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95), reveals Kiyochika's political views and his fierce patriotism. To express his contempt for the Chinese and his support for the Japanese troops, Kiyochika collaborated with the writer Koppi Døjin. Here, the writer's comic text appears in a box in the upper part of the print. The man seated behind the red table represents the Chinese army at the Lushun Fortress, a historical stronghold in North China that was once believed to be impregnable. Calling it blockhead, the writer and the artist applaud Japan's unexpectedly easy victory in taking Lushun.