Old Man Who Made Blossoms Bloom

The old man here is Hanasakajijii, the hero of a Japanese folktale. After a spiteful neighbor killed his beloved pet dog, Hanasakajijii spread the dog’s ashes beneath a dead tree, which then miraculously blossomed. Kōitsu depicted a vigorously budding plum tree, the harbinger of spring. Four poems, by four poets, inscribed on the print describe the coming of spring.