Sumo Wrestlers Kagamiiwa Hamanosuke and Koyanagi Tsunekichi, with Judge Sakaigawa Namiemon and Referee Shikimori Kiichirō

In the expansive format of a print triptych, the artist Kuniyoshi captures the energy and excitement of a sumo match in mid-nineteenth century Edo (present-day Tokyo). It appears that the wrestler on the left, Koyanagi Tsunekichi (1817–1858)—famous for being overly corpulent even among already heavy sumo wrestlers—has been caught off-balance and his opponent on the right, Kagamiiwa Hamanosuke II (1809–1866), is prepared to topple him. The facial expressions of each wrestler also indicate that Koyanagi is grimacing while Kagamiiwa has the expression of someone sensing victory is near. Both wrestlers were at their peak in the 1840s, and both achieved ōzeki status, the second highest ranking in the sumo hierarchy. The referee (gyōji), Shikimori Inosuke, behind Koyanagi on the far-left stares intently at the movements of the wrestler, awaiting the resolution of the match, while the presiding judge (shinpan) on the far right, Sakaigawa Namiemon, calmly observes the bout. In Edo-period sumo, the gyōji and shinpan worked together to officiate matches. The gyōji acted as the primary referee, using a war fan (gunbai) to signal the start of bouts, while the shimpan sat around the ring and could overrule the gyōji's decision. The gyōji also took on ceremonial duties, such as performing Shinto rituals to purify the ring before matches, which to this day is a feature of sumo tournaments.

Kuniyoshi, a student of Utagawa Toyokuni I (1769–1825), is best remembered for his warrior prints marked by meticulous detail and vigorous compositions. His experience with scenes of historic warriors in violent confrontation prepared him well for creating several dynamic triptych images of sumo wrestling bouts in the 1840s, of which this is a prime example. Kuniyoshi also produced dozens of single-sheet prints with portraits of famous wrestlers of the day, which would have been collected by fans. Another fine impression of this triptych is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (11.36501a-c).