Young Samurai Viewing Cherry Blossoms as a Mitate of Prince Kaoru

This print shows a young man carrying two swords, one long and one short, indicating that, despite his youthful age, he is a samurai. He gazes up at the blossoms of a cherry tree. Yet Suzuki Harunobu, the designer of this print, has embedded within his image a riddle that serves as the key to this picture. A small symbol on the man’s right shoulder is a so-called Genji crest (Genji-mon), one of 54 geometric symbols that each refers to a chapter of The Tale of Genji. A knowledgeable viewer’s recognition of the symbol also means understanding this picture as a parody-picture (mitate-e) of chapter 48, the “Early Ferns, ” in which Prince Kaoru (the illegitimate son of Genji’s friend and his wife who had been raised as Genji’s own) regrets having arranged a marriage between his one true love, Lady Nakanokimi, and his friend, Prince Niou. In this witty take on a Genji picture, Suzuki Harunobu transforms Kaoru from classical-period courtier to contemporary samurai.