Bandō Hikozaburō (坂東彦三郎) as Inuyama Dōsetsu (犬山道節) grapples with Nakamura Shibazō (中村芝蔵) as Inukawa Sōsuke (犬川荘助).

Beneath a moon-lit bamboo lattice we witness a climactic scene inspired by Nansō Satomi Hakkenden, the sprawling Edo-period prose epic in which eight samurai brothers, each bearing the character for “dog” (犬) in his surname, struggle to restore their clan`s honour.
According to the tale, these warriors are the miraculous offspring of Princess Fuse and her father`s loyal dog: after her tragic suicide, the eight beads of her rosary, symbols of Buddhist virtues, scatter across the land and reincarnate as boys, who reunite sixteen years later to fulfil their shared destiny.
In this print, Inuyama Dōsetsu (black robe) grapples with Inukawa Sōsuke (blue robe), their swords almost crossing in a tense indoor duel while incense smoke curls at their feet and a full moon heightens the drama.