c. 1787
Utagawa Toyokuni I 初代 歌川 豊国 Japanese, 1769–1825
Japan
In this version of the parody based on Act VII, a young man stands on the veranda reading a long love letter. A young woman, seated on the ground outside a fence, also reads the letter and is apparently greatly amused by its contents. Another young woman seated on a balcony looks down on the scene. It is thought that the artist designed this print at the age of eighteen.
Color woodblock print; hashira-e (pillar print)