This exhibition features examples of the ukiyo-e genre called "musha-e," or "warrior prints," which depicted armored samurai in battle scenes and other historical or legendary settings. Popular literature and theater contributed to the blending of fact and fiction in these prints, creating fantastic figures much larger than life. The exhibition includes works by such popular artists as Hokusai, Toyokuni I, Kunisada (Toyokuni III), Koryusai and Shunzan in a variety of formats that include book illustrations, pillar prints and triptychs in addition to the standard size ("oban") woodblock print. It was really Utagawa Kuniyoshi, however, who brought the genre to its pinnacle of popularity--as indicated by his nickname, musha-e no Kuniyoshi, or "Kuniyoshi of the Warrior Prints." Four works by Kuniyoshi and one by his student Yoshitora are in the exhibition. The power and visual strength of the imagery combined with tales of honor and heroism were highly popular among the people of the Edo period. We hope this exhibition will allow our visitors to share in that enjoyment.