"100 Days of Sermons... Out the Back"
One Hundred Pictures by Kyōsai (暁斎百図, Kyōsai Hyakuzu)
Kawanabe Kyōsai — “100 Days of Sermons... Out the Back”
Kawanabe Kyōsai — “100 Days of Sermons... Out the Back”河鍋暁斎《百日説法尻へぬく》, ca. 1863–1866
From the series: One Hundred Pictures by Kyōsai (暁斎百図, Kyōsai Hyakuzu)
Publisher: Wakasaya Yoichi (若狭屋与市)
Medium: Polychrome woodblock print (nishiki-e), printed on washi
Format: Individual sheet from accordion-bound edition
Dimensions: approx. 22 × 15 cm
Scene DescriptionThis satirical composition by Kawanabe Kyōsai depicts a chaotic gathering of monks and followers, thrown into disarray by an unexpected and indecorous act. At the center, a monk seated on a platform lifts his robes and releases an enormous, golden-colored fart, aimed directly at his audience. Their reactions range from horror to fainting, exaggerated in the classic grotesque style of Kyōsai.
A woman in the upper left corner raises a club over a naked child. The juxtaposition of visual chaos and moral absurdity reinforces the sense of collapse in traditional authority and religious seriousness.
Text and TranslationRight-hand inscription:
百日説法 尻へぬく
Hyakunichi seppō, shiri e nuku
“100 days of sermons—and it all comes out the backside.”
This mocking twist on a proverb criticizes long-winded, empty speeches that produce no meaningful result.
Upper-center inscription:
なる子と比べてさわぐな
Naru ko to kurabete sawagu na
“Don’t panic just because someone else’s child matures faster.”
An ironic proverb about pointless comparisons.
Interpretation and Satirical FunctionKyōsai uses vulgarity with precision: this is not mere humor, but calculated satire. The print skewers Buddhist hypocrisy and the emptiness of ceremonial authority. The fart becomes a metaphor for meaningless speech, and the collapse of moral pretension.
The exaggerated theatricality of the scene is intentional. By pushing bodily function to the forefront, Kyōsai exposes the absurdities of institutional religion and unthinking obedience. The image functions as a visual proverb—grotesque, didactic, and unforgettable.
Connection to He-gassen (Flatulence Contests)This work aligns with the historic Japanese genre of He-gassen (屁合戦, “fart battles”)—a theme used since the Muromachi period to ridicule political elites and the hollowness of social norms.
Kyōsai returned to the theme multiple times:
Edition and AuthenticityThis print belongs to the original edition of Kyōsai Hyakuzu, published between 1863–1866 by Wakasaya Yoichi. It shows all typical features of this edition:
From the series: One Hundred Pictures by Kyōsai (暁斎百図, Kyōsai Hyakuzu)
Publisher: Wakasaya Yoichi (若狭屋与市)
Medium: Polychrome woodblock print (nishiki-e), printed on washi
Format: Individual sheet from accordion-bound edition
Dimensions: approx. 22 × 15 cm
Scene DescriptionThis satirical composition by Kawanabe Kyōsai depicts a chaotic gathering of monks and followers, thrown into disarray by an unexpected and indecorous act. At the center, a monk seated on a platform lifts his robes and releases an enormous, golden-colored fart, aimed directly at his audience. Their reactions range from horror to fainting, exaggerated in the classic grotesque style of Kyōsai.
A woman in the upper left corner raises a club over a naked child. The juxtaposition of visual chaos and moral absurdity reinforces the sense of collapse in traditional authority and religious seriousness.
Text and TranslationRight-hand inscription:
百日説法 尻へぬく
Hyakunichi seppō, shiri e nuku
“100 days of sermons—and it all comes out the backside.”
This mocking twist on a proverb criticizes long-winded, empty speeches that produce no meaningful result.
Upper-center inscription:
なる子と比べてさわぐな
Naru ko to kurabete sawagu na
“Don’t panic just because someone else’s child matures faster.”
An ironic proverb about pointless comparisons.
Interpretation and Satirical FunctionKyōsai uses vulgarity with precision: this is not mere humor, but calculated satire. The print skewers Buddhist hypocrisy and the emptiness of ceremonial authority. The fart becomes a metaphor for meaningless speech, and the collapse of moral pretension.
The exaggerated theatricality of the scene is intentional. By pushing bodily function to the forefront, Kyōsai exposes the absurdities of institutional religion and unthinking obedience. The image functions as a visual proverb—grotesque, didactic, and unforgettable.
Connection to He-gassen (Flatulence Contests)This work aligns with the historic Japanese genre of He-gassen (屁合戦, “fart battles”)—a theme used since the Muromachi period to ridicule political elites and the hollowness of social norms.
Kyōsai returned to the theme multiple times:
- In his print “Kappa no he” (The Kappa’s Fart), also part of Kyōsai Hyakuzu, a farting kappa blasts away fishermen.
- In the satirical scroll “Fart Contest as Japan Adopts Western Culture” (ca. 1876), he critiques Meiji-era Westernization through visual farce.
Edition and AuthenticityThis print belongs to the original edition of Kyōsai Hyakuzu, published between 1863–1866 by Wakasaya Yoichi. It shows all typical features of this edition:
- Binding holes from accordion format (visible on the edge)
- Hand-applied mineral pigments
- Absence of the Okura Magobei publisher’s seal (present in later editions)
- Freehand calligraphy rather than typeset text blocks
- Genre and Art Historical ContextGenre: Satirical proverb illustration (kotowaza-e), grotesque parody
- Style: Post-ukiyo-e, independent and subversive
- Function: Social critique through farce and visual metaphor
- Significance: A rare and powerful example of Kyōsai’s rebellious spirit and visual intellect