Drawing after Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡 芳年 (1839â€?892) Tawara Tōda Hidesato and the Dragon Woman of Seta (Seta no ryÅ«jo), from the series One Hundred Ghost Stories from Japan and China (Wakan hyaku monogatari)  c. 1865

Editor: So, this is "Tawara Toda Hidesato and the Dragon Woman of Seta" by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, part of the "One Hundred Ghost Stories" series. It's a woodblock print. I’m struck by the dynamic composition, the dragon woman seems so powerful. How do you interpret this work within its cultural context? Curator: It’s intriguing how Yoshitoshi uses the supernatural to comment on social anxieties. These ghost stories, while fantastical, were often allegories for real-world power struggles and moral lessons. Consider the rising merchant class; could the dragon woman represent disruptive societal forces? Editor: That’s a great point! I hadn't considered the socio-political commentary embedded within the imagery of folklore. I see the piece in a new light. Curator: Exactly. Yoshitoshi was a master at blending entertainment with social critique, reflecting the public's fascination with the uncanny and the political realities of his time.