Narihira's Journey to the East, Edo period (1615?1868), ca. 1797, Japan, Triptych of polychrome woodblock prints; ink and color on paper, Overall: 15 1/8 x 30 in. (38. 4 x 76. 2 cm), Prints, Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, 1753? ?1806), The ninth chapter of The Tales of Ise is the most famous of the work and one of the mast frequently illustrated passages in Japanese literature. Narihira has lost all will to continue his worldly life in the capital and, in a disconsolate mood, leaves home with one or two close friends in search of a peaceful existence in the eastern provinces