Legendary Strongman Sakata Kinpira (Kintoki) Drinking Sake 1740 - 1760

Ishikawa Toyonobu made this woodblock print of the legendary strongman Sakata Kinpira, also known as Kintoki, sometime in the mid-18th century. The scene captures a moment of leisure as Kintoki, a figure celebrated in Japanese folklore for his superhuman strength, is depicted drinking sake. This work was created in the Edo period in Japan, a time marked by relative peace and economic growth under the Tokugawa shogunate. During this era, urban culture flourished, and with it, the arts. Woodblock prints like this one became popular among the merchant class, offering affordable and accessible art that often depicted scenes from daily life, folklore, and popular entertainment. The choice of Kintoki as the subject reflects the cultural values of the time, celebrating strength and heroism. Historians use a wide range of resources—including contemporary texts, visual culture, and social histories—to better understand the cultural and institutional contexts of artworks like this print. Examining these prints, their production, and reception, reveals the complex interplay between art, society, and the stories we tell ourselves.