Daimon Kinoshita - 両国五人大男 (Five Strong Men of Ryogoku)

A fabulous woodblock print by Daimon Kinoshita: 両国五人大男 (Five Strong Men of Ryogoku). Five immense rikishi are grouped closely together, their expressions ranging from stern to contemplative. Each are gowned in heavy ceremonial robes, their broad shoulders crowding the frame. Behind them, the Ryōgoku skyline rises with the Kokugikan arena roof and sumo 櫓 yagura tower, firmly situating the wrestlers in Tokyo’s historic sumo district. 💪🏯

• Year & Edition: 1985 onward · Published by 京都版画院 (Kyoto Hanga-In). Carved by 久我周二 (Kuga Shuji). Printed by 栃木義郎 (Tochigi Yoshiro). Margin inscriptions include “不許按製” (rights), 財団法人 日本相撲協会 (Japan Sumo Association), and copyright seals, with Kinoshita’s “Daimon” and edition seals below.
  
• Medium: Woodblock.
  
• Dimensions: Sheet W: 27.00 cm × H: 41.00 cm.
  
• Condition: Wonderfully stored; strong, beautiful colours, paper crisp & intact.
  
• Notes: Daimon Kinoshita comments on his website (www.daimon-e.sakura.ne.jp):「身長体重で大きかった５人を風俗画的に描いてみました。」(“I tried to depict five men who were large in terms of height and weight as a genre scene.”)

About the Artist

Born in Hokkaidō in 1946, Daimon Kinoshita is Japan’s foremost contemporary artist of sumo nishiki-e (錦絵). Since 1985 he has worked closely with the Japan Sumo Association, using authentic Edo-period ukiyo-e techniques and the traditional hanmoto system of artist, carver, and printer. His woodblock prints bring Yokozuna, Ōzeki, and rikishi to life in bold ceremonial portraits, often depicting the dohyō-iri (土俵入り) ring-entrance with mica (kirazuri) details that echo Edo traditions. Sold at the Kokugikan arena and presented to visiting dignitaries, Kinoshita’s works combine beauty, craft, and cultural significance, keeping the art of nishiki-e alive in the modern age. [ ← View All Works by Daimon Kinoshita]