The Five Festivals

(Go sekku no uchi, 五節句乃内)

Publisher: Ezaki-ya Kichibei

c. 1840

This series shows beautiful women with insets depicting one of the five festivals. The five festivals are Jinjitsu (January 7) Feast of the Seven Herbs or Mankind’s Day; Johshi (March 3) Doll Festival or Girls’ Day; Tango (May 5) Boys’ Day; Tanabata (July 7) Star Festival or Seventh Night; and Choyo (September 9) the Chrysanthemum Festival. The series is listed as number 133 in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). The prints are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.

	Festival: Mutsumashi-tsuki (first month) Description: Woman holding a painting of bamboo
	Festival: Tango (Boys’ Day), here written as Hidden Moon Month (Yuu minu tsuki, 月みぬ月) Description: Beauty with a boy and flags NOTE: The inset shows a fish-shaped flag
	Another state of the above design with a different kimono pattern and Go sekku no uchi written as 五節句の内
	Festival: Tanabata (star festival, いやおひ月) Description: Standing beauty
	Festival: Choyo (Chrysanthemum Festival, 菊月) Description: Standing beauty holding paper
	I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this alternate state of the above design with writing on the paper.
	Festival: Feast of the Seven Herbs or Mankind’s Day (Johshi) Description: Standing beauty with a letter in her mouth with a mat and a cat
	This print by Yoshitora is similar to the above series. It is published by Kaga-ya Yasubei and dates from c. 1858-1859. The text reads Five Seasonal Festivals (五節句内)

“Robinson” indicates listing in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson, 1961, Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

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