Ono no Komachi Visiting Kiyomizu Temple, from the series The Fashionable Seven Komachi (Furyu nana Komachi)
Edo period (1615–1868), n.d.
Isoda Koryusai Japanese, 1735–1790
Japan
A courtesan and her two assistants view a cherry tree on the grounds of Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto. Although the
younger women appear unaffected by the sight, the older woman seems struck by it, recalling a famous poem by Ono no Komachi that is written in a cloud:
Why have I grown old without
accomplishing anything,
While the appearance of the waterfall
remains unchanged.
(Translation by Chie Hirano)
The waterfall at Kiyomizu Temple is not pictured in this image, although it often appears in illustrations of this scene from Komachi’s life.
Color woodblock print; chuban