De Chinees-Japanse Oorlog: de grote overwinning bij Jiuliancheng 1894

Ogata Gekko created this woodblock print, now in the Rijksmuseum, depicting the Japanese victory at Jiuliancheng in the Sino-Japanese War. Notice the dynamic composition, with soldiers surging forward, their weapons and bodies angled as if propelled by an unseen force. Observe the water reeds in the foreground. These unassuming plants are potent symbols in East Asian art. They are emblematic of resilience and adaptability, bending with the wind but never breaking. We see their presence echoed in earlier Chinese paintings, often representing the humble scholar who weathers political storms. The reeds take on an additional layer of meaning here, emerging from a pool of water—a primordial symbol of creation and renewal. Just as the reeds persist, so too does the spirit of Japan in the face of conflict, drawing from deep reservoirs of cultural memory and projecting it into the future. The very act of remembrance ensures that these images are not relics of the past, but rather, living entities that continue to shape our understanding of history.