Scarred Yosa (Mukō Kizu no Yosa) and Otomi (Yokogushi Otomi)

The drama The Scarred Yosa (Kirare Yosa) was a hit of the kizewamono type of later kabuki plays. It told the story of the love of the dandy Yosaburō for the courtesan Otomi, who, however, belonged to the gambling syndicate boss Genzaemon. The boss ordered that Yosaburō be followed and when he caught the lovers in flagrante, the desperate Otomi jumped into the river. The criminals cut Yosa’s face, leaving him with scars on his beautiful visage, and he became a petty thief in the underworld. The print bears, among others, the seal of the engraver Yokogawa. (See Helena Honcoopová, Kunisada, Praha 2005, p. 209)