Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839–1892)

This design is based on a kabuki play which was written to tell the story of a young girl, Oshichi, the daughter of a wealthy merchant. When fire swept through areas of north-central Edo (now Tokyo), the residents fled to a temple for safety. Among the crowd was Oshichi who that night met a young man with whom she fell in love. When the time came for them to return to their homes, they were parted and Oshichi, heartbroken at the prospect of never seeing him again, vowed to do anything in order for them to be together again. In order to achieve this she sets fire to her own house, in the belief that this would reunite her with her lover at the temple. However her crime is discovered and she is punished by burning alive. In order to complete the tragedy, her lover committed suicide when he heard of the news of her fate.

Yoshitoshi's design is full of action with the scorching flames and firemen to the lower sheet, whilst Oshichi climbing the ladder fills the upper sheet, her kimono flowing dramatically in the wind.