Evening Shower at Ryogoku

Creator: Utagawa Hirokage
Date Created: 1859
Location: Japan
Dimensions: 13-3/16 x 8-1/2 in. (image) 13-3/4 x 9-1/2 in. (sheet)
Period: Edo
Medium: Ink on paper, Color woodblock print

In this woodblock print from the late Edo period, two figures can be seen emerging from the water at the riverside town of Ryogoku. As the figures emerged from the depths, they reveal themselves to be monstrous beings. Behind the beasts, the city of Ryogoku appears in the background, and small waves splash the pier. The monster further up the pier somewhat resembles a classic devil, with red skin and two horns, while the one still partially submerged appears to be a turtle with a humanized face.