Utagawa Kuniyoshi

"A waste of writing on the wall of the Hago Hozang

（The Wasted Calligraphy on the Cargo Storehouse Wall)

Circa 1847 (Koka 4)

Since the Tempo Reforms, there had been an injunction against the publication of yakusha ukiyoe. In an attempt to get them published, artists and publishers devised new ways of publishing them.

The artists and publishers tried to get their works published, but the people said, "This is not Ukiyo-e, it is a graffiti. It is a graffiti.

People at that time could see Utaemon, Koshiro, and Umeko. The cat in the middle is a two-tailed cat. They are dancing happily.

Such a playful spirit is what makes us feel luxurious.

These are called nugie (nail paintings), and they are paintings that Kuniyoshi wrote in the form of graffiti scratched with a nail.
There are also other portraits of actors, such as "Shiro-menjyo-rokka-no-mudagaki" (White face laughing wall).

Other characters such as "Minna waratte iru yawada" and "Naru aika harauzu," signatures such as "Kuniyoshi egaku," and the seal of the publisher Ibasen were also written in the same style of nail paintings. This is a painful style that can be seen in today's manga as well.