The Old Bamboo Cutter, from "Taketori monogatari" (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter) 

This work depicts a scene from The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, the oldest story in Japan, which begins with the line, "In the old days, there was a bamboo cutter called Taketori no Okina." The old bamboo cutter notices something shining brightly in a stalk of bamboo. Inside he finds a beautiful girl, just 10 centimeters in height. It is this moment, in which Taketori no Okina observes the child in wonder, that is depicted in the painting. And yet the girl’s presence is only hinted at by his expression, so the viewer must imagine her. In addition, while fine brush strokes have been used to depict the bamboo leaves and the hands and face of the man, the outline of his clothes are drawn more roughly, with the contrast lending the painting an air of sophistication. The work also serves as a record of early experimentation by Imamura Shiko, who for the remainder of his career continued to evolve and innovate in his creative endeavors.
(YATSUYANAGi Sae)