Ariwara No Narihira as the Ghost of Seigen, Utagawa Kunisada

Archive Label 2003:
In this world
Were there no cherry blossoms
My heart in spring
Would be more peaceful

The depraved priest Seigen fell in love with the beautiful Sakura Hime (Princess Cherry Blossom), breaking his vow of chastity. Rejected by her, he starves himself to death. His vengeful ghost then haunts the young princess until she dies of fright.

Kunisada wittily links this popular ghost story to a poem by Ariwara Narihira (825-880), one of the designated “36 Immortal Poets” of classical Japanese literature. Ariwara Narihira is famous for both his poetry and his amorous adventures. He is certainly not normally associated with the supernatural. It is the cherry blossoms that occur in both the poem and in the princess’s name that make this disparate association possible.

Archive label (date unknown)
Kunisada produced more than 20,000 color woodblock print designs during his fifty-six years as an ukiyoe artist. Most of these were kabuki actor prints, such as seen in this haunting image. Kunisada has here combined the memory of the ninth-century poet Ariwara no Narihira with the actor Ichikawa Danjūro VII (1791-1859). The actor is playing the role of the monk Seigen in the complex kabuki drama, "The Cherry Blossom Princess of the Eastern Capitol" [Sakura-hime azuma bunshō]. The plot involves the monk and Princess Sakura, whom Seigen tries to kill out of jealousy. In stead he fatally falls on his own knife. Here he is seen as a ghost obsessively haunting the princess, as cherry flowers are tossed by a storm in the background. A love poem at the upper right by Ariwara no Narihira, is appropriately paired with the deranged monk:
In this world
Were there no cherry blossoms
My heart in spring
Would be more peaceful

Archive Label date unknown:
Inscription: "In this world/If there were no cherry blossoms/My heart in spring/Would be more peaceful."
Kunisada weaves the image of the ninth-century poet Ariwara no Narihira in the guise of the actor Danjuro VII portraying the monk Seigen in the complex kabuki drama featuring ghosts, tortures, and revenge, "Sakura-hime azuma bunsho" (The Cherry Blossom Princess of Edo). The reference to the cherry blossoms ("sakura') in the poem by Narihira is also appropriate to Seigen. The play describes the misfortunes of the monk Seigen and Princess Sakura, whom he believes is the reincarnation of is former male lover. Because of Sakura's infidelity, he tries to kill her but instead falls on his own knife. Here the ghost, with one crossed eye, bluish face, and unkempt hair, rises once again to haunt Princess Skaura. There is no fire, only cherry blossoms blowing in the wind.