Artist: Bai-ou Size: 47.5 x 71.5 cm This is a reprint of the "Shinban Opekkepe Sugoroku" published in November 1891, reproduced using modern printing technology based on the original artwork and printed on handmade Japanese paper. Therefore, repairs and misalignments in the original artwork are printed as they are. However, this reprint sugoroku does not have the glare typical of offset printing, and it has a good atmosphere of handmade Japanese paper. This sugoroku was created in response to the popularity of the topical satirical folk song "Opekkepe Bushi," which swept the nation. "Peke" literally means "failure." The actor Otojiro Kawakami became famous for singing it as an entertainment during the opening performance of his troupe, dressed in a scarlet haori, a back headband, and a military fan with the Japanese flag. That figure is depicted in the center of the sugoroku. Although the Opekkepe Bushi recorded in Paris is not in his own voice, you can still listen to the song on CD today. The Opekkepe Bushi has a comical tone, but "turbulent" is the most appropriate word to describe Otojiro's life. At the age of 14, he left Fukuoka for Osaka and Tokyo, and after wandering, he aspired to politics and returned home. After that, he became a disciple of a rakugo storyteller in Osaka. He was a whirlwind of activity, including being an actor, a show promoter, and running for a member of the House of Representatives, and then struggling financially and performing overseas. It might be more interesting to make a sugoroku of Otojiro's life.