Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the Aroused Black Dog, Musical Angels and Other Stories

Today we’ll examine a book series called ‘Shakka hatsuso (8 Forms of Buddha)‘ (c.1860) by Koikawa Shozan (1821-1907).  As far as I can tell, the text and illustrations in the books refer to The Tale of Genji and its notorious hero Ashikaga Yoshimitsu *.

Playboy

The first book follows his entry (as a rookie) and the development into the irresistible playboy he would later become. The illustrations in the subsequent volumes become more and more imaginative.

Cock-licking Dog

There are 9 double page and 7 single page color illustrations + a triptych and a quadriptych. The prints include the famous scene with a giant black dog performing oral sex (with detailed embossing to the black fur – Fig.23), an amazing fold-out design of an orgy (Fig.8, 9 and 10), a female deity and her elephant (Fig.22), triptych angels (Fig.18 and 19), a grim snowy graveyard encounter (Fig.24), samurai in the forest (Fig.5) and much more…!

The set also includes 13 double page B&W illustrations (only one depicted here – Fig.20)

Fig.1. ‘Original storage box

Fig.2. ‘Opened storage box with shunga books  Size of each book is 6″ x 8 1/2″ inches

Fig.3. ‘Adolescent boy undergoes his sexual education by an attractive geisha. As I referred earlier; this very well could be Yoshimitsu as an adolescent during his development into a skilled seducer

Fig.4. ‘The explicit sequel to the previous scene with Yoshimitsu penetrating his mentor

Fig.5. ‘Samurai and secret lover making love at a well in the garden. They are watched in the distance by the young Yoshimitsu.’

Fig.6. ‘Yoshimitsu making love during a boat trip. His activities are followed with admiration by two horny women on the quay playing with themselves and the child in the boat.

Fig.7. ‘An innocent scene with Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and two young geisha relaxing on a roof terrace

Fig.8. ‘The consecutive fold-out scene (when Fig.7 is unfolded) displays our hero having sex with the two geisha. He is accompanied by a friend who is having friend with another geisha.’

Fig.9. ‘See fig.8.’

Fig.10. ‘See fig.8.’

Fig.11. ‘Noble intimate couple with the male leaning on the console table

Fig.12. ‘A tranquil scene depicting a fan and smoking gear

Fig.13. ‘Yoshimitsu on a giant bed accompanied by three geisha. He is caressing the private parts of the female sitting next to him while a female servant enters the room with holding a plateau with some kind of pine tree decoration

Fig.14. ‘The hero making love to a courtesan in the missionary pose

Fig.15. ‘A man (probably an actor) dressed as Soga (no) Juro (one of the Soga brothers) holds the belt of the female’s kimono while displaying his erect member. The snowy setting apparently does not hinder his intimate intentions

Fig.16. ‘A determined male sporting thick sideburns puts three of his fingers in the private parts of the aroused female

Fig.17. ‘On a gangway in a brothel, our tireless protagonist makes love to yet another female lover.’

Fig.18. ‘One panel of the triptych (see also fig.19) depicting a young male making love to a deity  while sitting on a cloud

Fig.19. ‘Fantasy scene with the hero Yoshimitsu making love to an ecstatic geisha. They are surrounded by angels making music.

Fig.19a. ‘Another impression with the pages attached’

Fig.20. ‘B&W illustration with the shogun passionately kissing one of his numerous female lovers.

Fig.21. ‘Secret encounter at the bottom of a staircase. They are only noticed by two twittering birds

Fig.22. ‘A dream scene with Yoshimitsu making love to a goddess who uses a white elephant as a means of transportation

Fig.22a. ‘Another impression with the pages attached

Fig.23. ‘A very remarkable scene with a giant black dog assaulting an intimate couple in a shed. In the resulting commotion the animal licks the glans of the male. As if that is not enough, the latter also gets the woman’s foot against his chin.’

Fig.23a. ‘Another impression’

Fig.24. ‘Gloomy scene taking place at a snowy graveyard with a  young female sleeping against a gravestone while an old gray samurai has nasty plans for her.

Click HERE for more articles of the sensual art by Shozan or here for more shunga scenes featuring Ashikaga Yoshimitsu…!!

*This character is based on the real-life shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358–1408), who was the 3rd shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate.