Over the centuries, in Japan, erotica evolved, closely allied with humour and wit, gradually becoming tightly woven into the fabric of the culture by means of allusions, poems and prose dealing with sex. The depiction of erotic relationships in Japanese art is known as “shunga” (春画; spring pictures). But the connection with humour is evident already in earlier times when it was called warai-e (笑い絵; laughing pictures), or warai-hon (笑い本; laughing books) since many of these works of art were based on parodies. While many shunga pictures describe feelings of pleasure and joy, right from early times, the erotic was combined with the comic. This element includes anything that could be taken as “funny,” as well as that which could be seen as “foolish” in the behaviour of lovers in intimate situations.
In ancient Japanese, the word warai had an added meaning- onanism. In addition to warau ("laughter"), the character 笑 was also pronounced emu in ancient Japanese, meaning "blooming bud". The phrase emi warereu (笑 み 割 れ る; literally, "laugh" and "splitting") meant the natural bursting open of a chestnut burr or fruit as it matures. Due to its connection with “bursting open”, emeru became a slang term for female genitalia.
Figures depicted in the art of shunga are drawn from all strata of society: nobles, samurais, merchants, farmers, actors, priests etc. Although it was forbidden to portray noblemen or samurais in erotic art, nevertheless artists did not refrain from making allusions in their work to sex scandals in which the privileged were involved.
The connection between eroticism and humour is rooted in Japanese mythology. According to the Kojiki (古 事 記; Kojiki; Record of Ancient Matters, 712) when the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, was furious with the actions of her brother (the God of Storms), she removed herself, hiding in a heavenly cave. Since darkness then descended upon the world, the other gods wrestled with how to make her leave her hiding place. Finally, according to the myth, Ama no Uzume no Mikoto, the Goddess of Happiness provided the solution. Taking a large wooden bowl, she turned it upside down and stood upon it. Then, moved by holy spirits, she began to sway in an erotic dance, revealing her breasts, tugging at her nipples, lifting her dress and exposing her genitals for all to see. Seeing this, the gods burst out in laughter and the skies quivered in response. The Sun Goddess, intrigued by the sounds of revelry and laughter, peeked out of the cave. At that moment, the gods rushed toward her, caught her by the rays of light and drew her out into the open. Thus light was restored to the world.
Another legend tells the story of two maidens pursued by demons. At a crucial moment, a goddess appears in the sky proposing that the young women expose their genitals, demonstrating herself how this is to be done. The damsels in distress take the advice proffered, following which the demons flee, shaking with laughter. In both stories, a close connection can be seen between eroticism, humour and beliefs.
Warai comprises many forms of laughter with a whole range of nuances, such as laughter which is explosive, bitter, scornful, suppressed, sometimes a thin smile, other times, chuckling etc. --all of which are utilized in shunga. For example, a man tries eagerly to make love to a woman occupied with the household chores. A woodblock print attributed to Isoda Koryûsai (active ca. 1764-1788), illustrates another example: a lady practicing calligraphy with her son, while at the same time, a man makes love to her (ca. 1772-1773). A print by Katsushika Hokusu (active ca. 1804-1830) depicts a couple making love while busy cleaning the house for the New Year. Another print by Isoda Koryûsai, shows a child watching his parents and playing the drum to the rhythm of their lovemaking. In yet another scene, a wife finds her husband making love to the maid and good humouredly gives him a scolding.
In other shunga pictures, there are images of sex toys, competitions and entertaining games in which men seem to be examining the size and vigour of their sexual organs (陽物くらべ; yôbutsu-kurabe; phallic contest). Diverse and amusing sex positions, comparable to the 48 Sumô wrestling techniques, allude to the ongoing “battle of the sexes". Indeed, love scenes in erotic art are not that different from those of our times. It is fascinating to see that some of the images are depicted from a female perspective - not only husbands, but also wives, may be unfaithful, caught at times in bed with a lover while their husband lies fast asleep beside them.
Two famous and entertaining series of shunga prints, by Suzuki Harunobu (1725? - 1770), comprising 12 woodblock prints each, depict the erotic adventures of the celebratory and sexually driven Elegant Amorous Mane'emon (風流艶色真似ゑもん; Fûryû Enshoku Mane'emon), a tiny man who spent his time spying, throughout the country, on couples while they made love. These pictures demonstrate the entertaining aspect of shunga from the perspective of the voyeur, the humour evident in both image and text. The name Mane'emon evokes a play on words –suggesting both a "copycat" (maneru), and the size of a "bean" (mame). Occasionally, Mane'emon is seen with a tiny woman, the two together imitating the lovers depicted in the picture.
Mane'emon's origins are recounted in the following story. Born in Edo as Ukiyonosuke, he dreamed of learning all there was to know about love making. For this reason, he made a pilgrimage to Ryushinzan Shrine, praying to the goddesses of love. In Harunobu’s print, the goddesses are portrayed as Ofuji and Osan, famous beauties of their time. Appearing before Ukiyonosuke, the goddesses grant him a magic potion that will fulfil all his desires. Once the potion has been imbibed, his body shrinks to the size of a bean, whence the name, Mane'emon.
Immediately, the almost invisible Mane'emon sets out on an adventure to the provinces of Japan. On his journey, he witnesses different practices related to sex. The viewer, observing what happens through this character’s eyes, is invited to laugh with him at the foibles of human nature. The first part of the story deals with the sexual habits of the common people of Edo and its surroundings while the second part takes a look at what was transpiring behind the closed doors of the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter, a place that had always intrigued people who could not afford to indulge in its pleasures. Now the woodblock prints afforded them a glimpse of its entertainments.
The inscription (詞 書; kotoba-gaki) on the upper part of each image, written by Komatsu Hyakki (1720-1793) tells the story taking place. Komatsu Hyakki, owned a large pharmacy and was a passionate admirer of Nishikawa Sukenobu (1750-1671), Harunobu’s teacher. Sukenobu had designed a similar set of prints for an earlier album and Hyakki owned a complete collection of Sukenobu’s albums. He was invited to write the text and the foreword to Harunobu’s album.
At the top of the seventh print in Harunobu’s series, Hyakki introduces the scene as follows: "From the gullible village of Shinden (or, new field), he made his way to the Village of Pure Passion where he stayed the night. Here he encountered the pleasures of old age, and portrays the feelings of the elderly." (まねへもん七 うつかり新田より気ばかりむらに一宿して 老のたのしみを見てとしよりのじやうをおもひ出す; Mane'emon nana. Ukkari sainden yori ki bakari mura ni isshuku shite, oi no tanoshimi wo mite toshiyori no jiyau wo omoidasu).
Given the mosquito net and the plough tucked away under the porch, this print appears to illustrate a room in a farmhouse on a summer night. In the field, the corn has ripened. An elderly couple has finished eating dinner and is enjoying a last cup of tea before bedtime. In the adjoining room, behind the mosquito net, the old couple's son and his wife have already begun their love play. However, the main characters in this scene are not the young couple, but actually their aged parents:
Apparently the old man has been overhearing the sound of love making emerging from the next room. “Hey Grandma, give me a kiss. Oh, just listen to those sounds!” Suddenly feeling his young, vigorous self, he draws her near, pressing a kiss upon her. “What are you thinking of?!” she retorts, “that's enough!" (此人とした事がいやはや」「ばゞ口なりとすはせやれ あれ／＼あのおとをきゝやれ」; Kono hito to shita koto ga iyahaya. Baba kuchi narito suhase yare. Are are ano oto wo kikiyare). Nevertheless, turning her head toward him, she allows his lips to meet hers. Thus the scene seems to offer a depiction of mature love which is quiet and calm and tender.
However, this implication is undone by the use of humour. For despite "Grandpa's" amorous intentions, the old man’s vital organ is not up to par. This explains the irony in the title of the print: “Village of Pure Passion”. And this despite what Mane'emon has to say about the matter. Seeing the private parts of the old man, he calls out: "But it's huge! Big as a pumpkin. It's true what they say; there are strange things in the country." (「ても是は大イ物ツ かぼちや程ある なるほどいなかは又やん事た」; temo kore ha daimotsu, kabocha ya hodo aru. Naruhodo inaka ha mata yan koto da). This kind of droll comment invites the viewer to smile. However, Harunobu does not intend to ridicule the sexual feelings of the elderly, but rather to evoke feelings of sympathy for the old man and his wife.
The eleventh print in the series depicts Mane'emon, towards the end of his journey, rushing back to Edo. In the middle of the night, he notices a young man and woman lying side by side in the shadow of a hillock. Approaching them, he sees a candle and a short sword nearby and in their hands, prayer beads. This is evidently not merely a lovers' tryst. Moreover, on the opposite side of the hillock, an old man leaning on a cane, carries a lantern and weeps. The accompanying inscription reads:
"Experienced in love and its myriad ways, Mane’emon makes his way back home. A fashionable, young man who has not yet shaven his forelock, accompanied by a young girl of sixteen years, wearing a kimono with long sleeves (indicating her status as unmarried), catches his attention. 'This might be interesting,' he thinks, following in their footsteps. While hiding in the grass, he witnesses what appears about to be a lovers' suicide. Mane'emon bids farewell to the lovers' secluded spot, making his way towards the shops along the coastline."
Is this how the story ends? After all, there is nothing amusing in it. However, Harunobu manages to transform the sorrow into happiness by means of the text and composition. From the young lovers, we learn that things were in fact different from how they appeared: "You're terribly late," says the girl to which the boy replies, "I will not be late again, but listen, don’t you hear someone nearby?!" The girl, the first to arrive at the meeting place had had to wait for the boy, who was tardy. Moreover, it seems that the girl was resolved to kill herself; the youth, on the other hand, anxious about the voices he hears, is still clinging to life. Attempting to regain her partner's attention by reaching for his penis, she addresses him, adding the suffix “nanshita” after the verb, thus imitating the jargon typical of the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters. Hence, despite the tragic element of imminent suicide, their conversation may suggest a more theatrical motif.
Mane'emon, having earlier spotted the old man weeping by the roadside, concludes: "How the father must lament! Mercy! How pitiful! Do they really wish to cast away the flower of their youth? If only I could do something. Let me at least hide the sword and save their lives. Before long, they will find them. Oh! It is not interesting, it's nothing, nothing!” Mane'emon has been touched by the weeping father and decides to steal the sword and hide it away to save the lives of the young couple. This is the first time in the series in which the ‘bean man’ attempts to intervene in what is happening. It looks to him as if the young couple thinks of nothing but a theatrical suicide and Mane’emon mumbles to himself, "This is not funny at all, it's nothing, nothing!" Saying this, he does not use the words “nothing, nothing," but the words nasubi nakabashi, which literally mean "eggplant of the bridge centre." In both words the sound nas can be heard. Nas can be found in the root of verb nashi, which means "nothing".
In the mid-18th century, Japanese artists ceased to add captions to the upper part of prints. Instead, short captions with the dialogue of the different characters appeared in the inner part of the pictures (書 入 れ; kaki-ire). It is Mane'emon’s interpretation of a given situation that creates the humour. His running commentary on the “pillow talk” of couples, during love making, is a case in point. Indeed, it is often almost impossible to understand the setting without reading the text which expounds on the nature of the sexual relationship, the feelings and aspirations of the characters.
In a different print by Harunobu, showing a courtesan enjoying a rare day of freedom, she is seen together with a young man, part of whose head and face are hidden underneath a towel (手拭い; tenugui). The man and the woman, a low ranking prostitute, make love on a street corner, thereby risking public exposure. They hide behind a fire extinguishing water tank inscribed with the words "second block” (二町目; ni chôme) of the residential neighbourhood in the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters. A young girl, playing with a dog in the street, is not the prostitute's attendant (kamuro), since lower class harlots were not accompanied by young apprentices. The Tanabata (七夕) Festival banner in the print indicates that this is the seventh day of the seventh month. Tanabata symbolizes a lovers' union after long separation. This would imply that the couple in the picture are lovers as well. Falling in love with a courtesan, from the pleasure quarter, constituted a real danger for a young man since he could not afford to redeem her from the brothel to which she belonged. Such a love affair could end in the tragic lovers' suicide, since the lovers would be unable to fulfil their love for each other. The humour, then, lies elsewhere--in the fact they are caught in flagrante delecto.
Often a voyeur, (our eyes following closely what he perceives), peeping through a hole in a paper door or behind a curtain, sees what should have remained unseen as it may be something forbidden -for example, a courtesan found with her lover rather than a paying customer, or a noblewoman caught in bed with Kabuki actor.
Occasionally, a humorous erotic poem (川 柳; senryû) is inscribed in the upper part of shunga prints. The following is an example of such a poem: “Looking at shunga / The lord’s ladies, like the rocks offshore, / Are wet below, though out of sight” (柳多留; Yanagidaru, vol. 77, 1823). The metaphor, "rocks offshore", is taken from a poem by Nijôin Sanuki (1141? - 1217), who felt so lonely and wept copiously because her lover had neglected her: “My sleeves / Are never dry / Like the rocks offshore / Always under the tide / Yet no one knows.” (わが袖は 潮干に見えぬ沖の石の人こそ知らね 乾き間もなし; waga sode wa / shiohi ni mienu / oki no ishi no / hito koso shirane / kawaki mamonashi). This poem was included in the collection of poetry "A Hundred Poems by a Hundred Poets" (百人一 首; Hyakunin isshu), which was a well-known educational text as well as an important component in a popular card game for the New Year. The humour derives from the contrast in meaning of “wet with tears” between the classical reference which speaks of grief and heartache and the erotic poem which refers to the effects of shunga in arousing the ladies.
In the early shunga, the male figures depicted were usually samurai. As these pictures were expensive, only the aristocracy could afford them. In the Edo period (1600-1868), while it was forbidden to take swords into the pleasure quarters, the artists nevertheless included the swords in their pictures, so that the samurai would be identifiable and therein the humour.
Buddhist monks, who were supposed to renounce sex, are often shown in doctors’ uniforms since both used to shave their heads at that time. Clearly, while it was the business of doctors to examine a female body, it was not the monks’ business to do so. This parody was widespread in shunga and its moral was that the clerics and their holy ways could not be trusted, as they had the same desires and aspirations as any man.
One of the most conspicuous elements in shunga, ever since the late 18th century, is the inflated size of the genitals depicted. It is speculated that the origin of this entertaining depiction is in the kachi-e (勝絵); pictures of victory, or of competition). When using the term Kachi-e, art historians refer specifically to a medieval handscroll containing images of the “Phallic Contest". These amusing competitions show men measuring their genitals, portrayed equal to half the size of their body, and putting them to amazing and amusing feats. The outcome itself had no significance so that no winner ever appears. Pictures from the original Phallic Contest handscroll were copied by several artists in the 19th century. These copies comprise an album (華月帖; Kagetsujô; 1836) in which all the images are printed in grey shadows. Kanô Eishin’s (1790-1867) print shows two men holding their giant genitals and competing with each other face to face. The inscription reads: "Based on a hand scroll by Toba Sôjô that was copied by Master Kanô Eino” (1631-1697). In a print by Kawamura Kihô (1778-1852) from the same album, a game is depicted which aims to amuse. Two women each hold a piece of string, one of which is attached to a man's penis. The lucky woman who draws the right string will be the first to enjoy the prize.
The “Farting Battle” (放屁 合戦; hôhi-gassen) is yet another well-known kachi-e subject, describing a farting contest among men. Early kachi-e scrolls were attributed to the artist-monk Toba Sôjô (1053-1140) and were copied by later artists. While these images were not meant to be erotic and never showed women or copulation, one supposes that kachi-e provided some groundwork for Edo period, both because of its similar depiction of male genitals and due to the long-standing Japanese tradition of faithfully copying classical works and adapting their themes and narratives to new pieces. Perhaps the artists deliberately perverted or portrayed disproportionate limbs in order to fit in multiple figures, or to achieve artistic harmony, or to emphasize the sexual organs and highlight the sexual act. In any event, the use of exaggeration served to create something grotesque.
In the early 19th century, genitals began to appear as having lives of their own, separate from the body. For instance, in Utagawa Toyokuni’s (1769-1825) print, "Large, Hot Flames Burning at the Entrance of Hell”, an unfortunate man is caught by female genitalia in the hot flames of hell. In the Buddhist faith, there are numerous kinds of hell. A unique hell may have been reserved by Toyokuni for those who were sexually inactive during their lifetime.
Humour is also associated, in the Japanese language, with sex related slang words. For instance, the slang usage of the word “water” (水; mizu, sui) refers to women; therefore, an island surrounded by water symbolizes relations between a man and woman. Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861) linked the themes of sex and water to Lake Ômi, depicted in many serial landscape prints and entitled "Eight Views of Ômi" (逢見八景; Ômi hakkei). In the woodblock print "Eight Views of Amusing Rendezvous” (遊見八景; Yûmi hakkei), a raft sails toward female genitalia, appearing as an island on the famous lake. The image of a woman offering water to a man who then drinks it, implies that he has had a long relationship with her. A geisha washing her son in a tub of water while he points at her genitalia in Kitagawa Utamaro's II (1753 - ca. 1831) print, illustrates, in a humorous fashion, the "Love for Water" from an early age.
An oyster (貝; kai) also symbolizes the female sexual organs. In shunga, there are often illustrations of men holding an oyster shell, and the Japanese word kai remains still today slang for the female organs. In Katsushika Hokusai's print (1817) and in a similar print by Yanagawa Shigenobu (?) (1787-1832), a lady diver is seen flirting with a young man surrounded by oysters.
Because of its shape, a mushroom (松茸; matsutake) represents the male organ. Humorous pictures often depict a woman watching a man pick mushrooms. Another symbol for the large phallus is the shakuhachi flute, and quite often shunga will portray women playing with a shakuhachi. The Japanese umbrella made of bamboo and paper also appears in shunga. Since paper is easily torn, a closed umbrella, held by a man, implies a drop in sexual prowess.
The mirror, too, is an important accessory, frequently present in shunga. It allowed the artist to depict the sexual act from different angles, also enabling voyeurs to watch the "show". For instance, a print attributed to Keisai Eisen (1790-1848) depicts a couple hugging and kissing. However, the sexual act can be seen only in a mirror leaning on the dresser, thus turning the viewers into voyeurs.
Japanese houses are small and the paper doors (障子; shôji) allow for very little privacy. Some shunga depict men looking through a hole in the paper door. Voyeurs may be of both sexes and all ages, alone or in pairs. They usually look aroused, envious, astonished, or bemused. For example, in the print “Evening Tea”, attributed to Isoda Koryûsai, an attendant girl peeps at a couple having sex behind a folding screen, she herself becoming sexually aroused.
Amusing shunga pictures also depict the gods of Shintô and Buddhism. For example, the Seven Gods of Good Fortune (six men and a woman), celebrating in an orgy, are depicted in a print by an artist of the Utagawa School. A print from the Taisho era (1912-1926) describes the seven gods on their treasure ship (宝船; takarabune). The six male gods are illustrated as large phalluses and can be identified according to well-known attributes. They all surround goddess, Benten. The hull and sail of the ship are comprised of both sexes’ genitalia. The symbols of luck and longevity, the turtle swimming along the boat and the crane circling in the sky, are comprised of male and female organs. In other prints, demons, such as the tengu, are seen making love to humans, and even the long, red, phallic nose of the konoha tengu (Japanese mountain demon) is put to good use in pleasing women.
Erotic scenes that include animals began to appear in shunga in the mid-18th century – a woman coupling with a giant octopus is seen in a famous print by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). The creature puts to use all his tentacles to please the shell-diver in the illustration (1814). The text above them indicates her moans of pleasure. Also foxes, which have been turned into humans in order to tempt men or women, feature in shunga prints. They are seen either wearing ordinary clothes, or looking like people with tails. Such pictures, describing intimate relations with animals, usually serve as parodies. For instance, in a print from 1837, by Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865), a dog mounts a woman. This canine represents one of “The Eight (Canine) Heroes of the House of Satomi” (南 總 里 見 八 犬 傳; Nansô Satomi hakkenden), written by Kyokutei Bakin (1767-1848), and published 1814-1842. The heroes in the story are certainly not canines but the comparison is drawn since the character for “dog” (犬; ken, inu) appears in the title of the story.
Sometimes dogs, cats or mice seem to be inspired by couples making love and mate as well. An amusing print by Katsukawa Shunshô (1726-1793) illustrates a couple making love under a kotatsu (炬燵), a table with a heating system for winter. In erotic art, the kotatsu symbolizes the heat resulting from vigorous lovemaking. In Shunshô's print, a cat watching a couple actively "at it" complains: "They're disturbing my nap." Another cat, watching a couple doing the same thing, is depicted in a print from the illustrated book "Models of Couples" (絵本つひの雛形; Ehon tsuhi no hinagata, about 1812- 1814). In this print by Katsushika Hokusai, a pair of mice, inspired by a couple making love, is also mating and, out of thoughtfulness, the cat, for the time being, lets them be. Meanwhile, the cat, untrammelled, expresses his thoughts about the love life of his master:
"Cats have been known for a long time to have eyes the shape of an egg. Around six o'clock in the evening, their eyes grow round, and by midnight they’ve become narrow like needles. Well, it seems that human eyes change too. When the master says, ‘My wife, it's time to get up,’ he is trying to arouse her. She reaches for his erect rod and as she wakes up, her eyes become round. She then guides him twice, three times inside her. Now her eyes take the shape of an egg. ‘Oh, Good! Good! I'm coming!’ she cries, her eyes this time narrowing down to needles. If a woman comes nine times, her pubic hair will stand up like a torch. How interesting that even in total darkness, when the master enters her, they don’t confuse the anus with the vagina. Oh, I don’t feel so good. The master is going to do it again! Say, maybe I'll catch a mouse or two. Oh! No! The mice are doing it too! I suppose I should be a good sport and let them have fun. Oh, what a bore all of this is."
The text also cites the squeaks of pleasure the mice emit as their lovemaking peaks: "Chû, Chû, Chû!"
On the fan, next to the image of the couple, appears a comic verse: "Benkei and Komachi / Are fools / Don’t you agree, my wife?" This is based on two earlier sources: a well-known legend, telling the tale of the 12th century warrior Benkei reputed to dislike women; the 9th century poetess Ono no Komachi, thought to be a man hater. According to the story, both abstained from sex during their lives.
Often poems inscribed in prints designed by artists of the Edo period, were not attributed to their original authors. For example, In the series of erotic prints, "Eight Fashionable Views of Edo" (風流江戸八景; Fûryû Edo hakkei), corresponding to the series "Views of Edo," Suzuki Harunobu makes use of poems that appeared in the final volume of the illustrated shunga book (shunpon), "Eight Fashionable Views of Love" (風流色八景; Fûryû iro hakkei; 1715), by Nishikawa Sukenobo. All the poems in Sukenobu’s work are parodies of the original poems in the series "Eight Views of Ômi" (近江八景; Ômi hakkei). In one print, Harunobu illustrates a couple making love on a boat on the Sumida River. The title of the print is Ryôgoku no heikishô, i.e. "Sex in Ryôgoku", or "Clear Sky in Ryôgoku". The pun is a result of the use of the homonym (a word identical in spelling and pronunciation, but different in meaning) heikishô, which means "sex", or "clear sky". It originated in the print, Seta no heikishô (Sex / Clear Sky at Seta) by Sukenobu. The title contains a word play related to yet another print, Seta no sekishô ("Evening Glow at Seta”) that was included in the series of landscapes "Eight Views of Ômi." The poem in Harunobu’s print reads: “Dew drops collect / At the bottom of the well / The evening sun / Moves on in silence / Above the long bridge.” (露しつく/もる々おいとの/そこもかな/夕日しつかに/わたるながば々; Tsuyu shizuku / moruru oido no / soko mo kana / yûhi shizuka ni / wataru nagaba ha). This erotic poem contains an amusing allusion due to the use of the homonym “oido” which means both "well" and "vagina". Furthermore,”nagaba,” meaning long bridge, also has a phallic connotation. Thus, the poem could be translated as follows: “Her genitals / Without a doubt, dripping from the depths / Like dew / His long penis glows / In the evening sun.”
Every year, on the 28th day of the fifth month, fireworks signified the "Opening of the (Sumida) River" for boating. From that day on, for the next three months, sailing was permitted. Edo citizens loved to run small boats (chokibune) and take advantage of the refreshing, summer breeze. Beside the Ryôgoku Bridge, pleasure boats were available for hire, as were the courtesans shown in the print, all of which promised an enjoyable time. Next to the pleasure boat, lies another boat featuring a monkey dressed as a young lady and his trainer, who is fishing. Everyone in the pleasure boat seems entertained by the monkey, including a couple busy mating.
Many shunga prints included parodies and humorous allusions to well-known noblemen, kabuki actors etc. In addition, shunga comic books provided gossip about such celebrities. In the print "Sexual Trinity" (美多三尊御交合の図; Mita sanzon no go-raigô no zu), an artist of the Utagawa School, portrays a man and a courtesan making love to a Kabuki actor who is none other than Segawa Kikunojô, an actor who specialized in female roles (女形; onnagata). The title of the print incorporates a pun in Japanese. Sanzon means "Trinity." Raigô (交合) as spelled here means "sexual union” but spelled differently (来 迎), raigô means a trinity of Buddha Amida and two bodhisattvas. Kabuki actors who played female roles often had sexual liaisons with men and women alike. Paintings also hinted at scandals involving aristocratic women who consorted with them. For women of those times, a Kabuki actor was someone to be admired and imitated, for whoever played female roles had also perfected feminine manners, fashion and refinement.
Shunga features a range of lovemaking methods and partners. Depictions of lesbian love abound; often one of the women wore a male mask. In general, women usually used sex toys (笑 い 道具; warai-dogu; funny tools) like dildos (harikata). These were made of different materials such as buffalo horn, tortoiseshell and wood. Erotic art also depicted objects in the shape of female genitalia (azumagata) used by men for self-pleasuring. Many paintings and prints describe bisexual, or homosexual relationships usually portraying a man, a youth and a woman. A youth whose forelock has not yet been shaved off, is usually depicted sleeping with the woman, whereas the older man focuses his amorous attentions on the young man.
Another common theme in Japanese erotic art was the parody of well-known fables-for example, the story of Urashima Tarô who rescued a turtle. Out of gratitude, the turtle took him to the palace of the Dragon King of the Sea. There Urashima fell in love with the king’s daughter, the beautiful princess. After happily spending time together, he desired to return to his homeland. Before his departure, the princess gave him a box; however, she instructed him not to open it. Urashima made his way back to his village, but upon arrival discovered that he didn’t recognize a soul. Sitting on a rock by the sea, disregarding the princess’ warning, he then opened the box. Instantly, a cloud of white smoke emerged from the box and Urashima changed all at once into an old man. This was because the several days he had spent at sea were in fact many years. In shunga, however, Urashima Tarô is graphically depicted making love to the daughter of the dragon king at sea. A different legend tells of Yamauba, who lived deep in the mountains and Kintarô, the child she adopted and raised. In a print, Yamauba is described as she is sexually attacked by a hihi (狒々; mythical giant baboon) and Kintarô tries to defend her from the beast. It is believed that the hihi laugh before they devour people, and hence their name.
In a painting by Nishikawa Sukenobu and a print by Isoda Koryûsai, yet another interesting topic is addressed, the connection between nuns and sex. In Sukenobu’s painting, a couple is viewed making love behind the back of a nun who is praying, perhaps, for their fertility. Koryûsai’s print also features a nun, this time copulating with a young man on temple grounds. In this context, one must keep in mind that Shintô, the ancient Japanese religion, was founded on the belief in the centrality of fertility both for mankind and the Earth. Hence its outlook on sexual behaviour is such that it is not seen as something shameful, sinful, or taboo. It is thus not surprising that Japanese mythology is replete with sexual freedom. Even today one can find, in Japan, Shinto shrines in which there are representations of fertility deities in the form of sexual organs. This attitude has been conducive to the artistic and literary expression of Japanese erotica since very early times.
A print by Kitao Masanobu (1761-1816) depicts a couple making love on a drum at the entrance to the temple. Indeed, prostitutes practiced their profession within the compounds of the shrines and even nuns were often similarly engaged. In fact, the sense of taboo associated with these topics is more pronounced today than it was then in the early middle ages.
During the Edo era, Japanese men used to exchange small size shunga prints known as koban (小判; koban; 23x17 cm.) carried inside the kimono sleeve. Surimono (摺物; literally, printed object) prints in koban size (小 判 摺 物; koban surimono) were even presented as greeting cards for the New Year. These prints were often erotic and humorous. Twelve whimsical, calendar, koban prints by Kawanabe Kyôsai (1831-1889) depict scenes related to monthly festivals or events. For example, a print depicting a couple hiding inside a banner, shaped like a carp, and engaged in lovemaking, represents the fifth month when the Boy Festival is celebrated. Another print, in the same series, illustrates a couple doing the same thing; however, their lovemaking is interrupted by a demon (oni), so that the man is hurling peas at him at the same time as making love. This print probably represents the Oni yarai (鬼やらい) Festival (the festival of exorcism).
Foreigners in Japan, during the Edo period, were not immune to the butt of shunga wit. For example, a print by Chôkyôsai Eiri (active 1790-1800) portrayed a well-dressed European, probably a Dutch merchant. He is depicted spending leisure time with a courtesan from Nagasaki. While it is the winter season, as indicated by their garb, she rests her arm on an open window against a Western setting, implying the compound of the Dutch East India Trading Company on the island of Deshima (which the artist had never seen). Incense burns, producing a delicate fragrance. And herein lies the punch line: the open window, despite the fierce cold outside, and the burning incense convey how bad the man smells, casting aspersion on the habits of hygiene of the foreigners.
Many prints use humour to describe a variety of sex games and positions. Prints by the artist Koikawa Shôzan (1821-1907) portray men and women indulging in weird and wacky games of sex. For example, a man shoots phallic looking arrows at a target which is none other than his mistress’ genitalia; in another, a woman is seen pulling a wooden wagon upon which lies her lover’s gigantic penis; in yet another, a woman acts as referee over two men engaged in combat with each other, using their phallus as a weapon. In her hands, she holds a fan, the same as that of a referee officiating at a sumô match.
Shunga represented a Japanese market commodity for which there was a great demand by the affluent consumer. It constituted a multi-layered genre, extremely varied, but more than anything else, entertaining. Humour in erotic art suggests that the Japanese culture agreeably and with pleasure accepted all things related to sexuality, not only in the Edo period, but also in earlier times. Following the American occupation of Japan in the second half of the 20th century, Western moral standards predominated and the art of shunga became taboo.
However, it is important to remember that the values promoted by the genre were positive. These were the acknowledgement of the centrality of sexuality in human nature and society, while at the same time the readiness to laugh at the foibles of man and woman in their lust for love. Shunga availed the Japanese culture of both an artistic expression of erotica as well as humour, whereby laughing at the other enabled viewers to also recognize their own human failings.
This exhibition is on loan to the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art by courtesy of collector, Mr. Ofer Shagan, Tokyo and was made possible through the generous support of the Israeli Embassy in Japan. Both the exhibition and the catalogue are dedicated to the memory of the late Mrs. Oranit (Shagan) Talmor, sister to the collector.
Dr. Ilana Singer Blaine
** This exhibition will be displayed in two parts: the first part will be on display until Saturday evening (01.04.2017). Between 02.04.(Sunday) and (including) Tuesday, 04.04, the exhibition will be closed to visitors in order to change the photographs displayed in the exhibition. The second part of the exhibition will be on display (and open to visitors) from Wednesday, 05.04.