Several woodblock versions of the Snake Mountain Hermitage scene in which the ghost of Oiwa torments her former husband with hallucinations. In an earlier scene she manages to trick Iyemon into killing his new young wife and her father. He retreats to his cottage on Snake Mountain (Hebiyama), hoping to escape her. However, as he sits relaxing by the fire, suddenly the paper lantern catches fire and is transformed into Oiwa's disfigured face, while the smoke from the fire becomes her ghostly body. In the Edo period ghosts were sometimes also "bakemono" (shape-shifters) in the sense that they could possess not only people but also transform objects in uncanny ways. In this image, what else adds to the weird and uncanny atmosphere?

Another version of the Iyemon's hallucinations on Snake Mountain. How is this image different from the previous print? Which do you think is more effective? What appears to be Iyemon's attitude toward the lantern-ghost in this version compared to the previous print?

Oiwa's ghost emerging from the lantern. What has changed in this version?

Kuniyoshi image of lantern

Another image of Oiwa emerging from lantern

Before and After