Vertical, narrow prints are a by-product of traditional Japanese architecture, which offered very few solid wall surfaces. Many times, the only solid surface available for the hanging of pictures, were the structural posts which held up the roof. "Pillar prints" became a genre unto themselves and were referred to in Japanese as hashira-e or tanzaku.
The design of pleasing compositions within such a constrained format is a serious challenge for the artist. Yoshimoto Gesso and Shoda Koho, the artists who designed the prints in this series, have certainly risen to this challenge and produced a wide variety of wonderful designs.
This print, designed by Gesso, is pretty interesting to me as an old-time fisherman. If a fishing spot is easy to get to, you can be sure that it's probably fished out by now. Rewards come to fishermen who are willing to go places where others wouldn't bother to go. Case in point: This gentleman who, at night, has lowered a platform off of a cliff, extended a lit torch to attract the fish, and is fishing 2 lines at once. What a guy!!
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