Really Weird Japanese Shadow Pictures from the Edo Period

Posted by Alex in Arts & Crafts, Pictures on April 21, 2008 at 12:37 pm


We all know that the Japanese can be weird sometimes. Really weird. Well, it turns out that their craziness is not a modern phenomenon – it’s been around since at least the feudal period! Consider this: the Kage-e or shadow pictures, a popular form of woodblock print from the Edo period.

These pictures consist of two parts: a “shadow” image and a “real” image. The shadow image, which typically bears the shape of a common, easily identifiable object, is viewed first. The real image, viewed second, reveals the surprising true identity of the shadow.

The kage-e above is by ukiyoe master Kuniyoshi (ca. 1852). The shadow looks like goldfish, but it’s actually flying tanuki (raccoon dog) crushing a man with its giant testicles!

Pink Tentacles blog has more: Link


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13 comments to "Really Weird Japanese Shadow Pictures from the Edo Period"

  1. L
    April 21st, 2008 at 1:01 pm

    Makes all those strange Sanrio characters seem tame by comparison. You'd never see Chococat crush anyone with HIS testacles!

  2. L
    April 21st, 2008 at 1:03 pm

    Sorry. Testicles. I'm not sure what testacles are. Maybe a cross between a testicle and a tentacle...

  3. tona b.
    April 21st, 2008 at 1:56 pm

    More classic Japanese tanuki and their super testes:
    http://www.kuniyoshiproject.com/raccoon%20Dogs%20(R209).htm

    L, I imagine testacles are obstacles of the testicular sort!

  4. Aeris
    April 21st, 2008 at 2:05 pm

    this is so weird.... crushing someone with testicles? ..certainly a new outlook on teabagging...

  5. Ali S.
    April 21st, 2008 at 2:23 pm

    Wait what?! As a guy this just looks painful! *cringe*

  6. Alannah
    April 21st, 2008 at 3:36 pm

    The testicle one was just...strange, but some of the others, especially bird woman, were awesome.

  7. Evilbeagle
    April 21st, 2008 at 4:09 pm

    These are amazing! I just have to wonder, though, if you are attacked by a set of huge nads, would you want to live through it and actually attempt to ever live it down?

  8. ted
    April 21st, 2008 at 6:51 pm

    Giant testicles?

    They should't have put the pictures right beside each other like that. Could have come up with a better way to reveal the "real" images. Some were pretty good.

    Giant testicles?

  9. aerio
    April 21st, 2008 at 9:08 pm

    The Studio Ghibli Feature length cartoon "Pom Poko" was a about Tanuki's. Aside from the scrotal battle there realy are quite a few gorgeous scenes and the english dub is acted pretty well.

  10. Barbwire
    April 21st, 2008 at 11:02 pm

    With testicles like that, how could the critter fly?

  11. SenorMysterioso
    April 22nd, 2008 at 2:32 pm

    that detail is left off of the tanuki suit in mario bros 3

  12. Oomi
    April 22nd, 2008 at 2:56 pm

    0___________________o

  13. su.wei
    April 25th, 2008 at 3:15 am

    very strange


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