When an event of great importance in the world occurs, it is said that the grave of Sakanoue Tamuramaro shakes mysteriously, a superstition arising from Sakanoue's central role in Japanese history. As Japan's first shogun in the late 8th century, Sakanoue served three different emperors with unfaltering fidelity. His legend was especially popular during Yoshitoshi's time, when the Meiji government promoted the emperor as a living emblem of Japanese culture and encouraged the country to serve him in any way possible. Here, we see Sakanoue directing a dense line of arrows toward an unseen enemy, most likely the Ainu, whom his emperor intended to force into submission. The rain of arrows in the name of the emperor symbolizes the intense nationalism of Meiji Japan as well as illustrating Sakanoue's potency as a military leader.

The spirit of the Japanese warrior has its roots in Japans classical myths from as early as the 4th century. These tales featured characters of profound physical strength with a quick mind and fierce sense of dedication to the emperor or ruling clan. These prototypical warriors had impressive pedigrees, often linking them to Chinese royalty or even gods, and their ambitions and feats often exceeded the expectations of their forebears. While many of these characters can be seen as examples of extraordinary achievement and talent at an individual level, they are also celebrated for their selfless devotion to their families, clans, and masters. A number of warrior legends from this period involve an aggressive expulsion of rebels and barbarians from what was considered imperial land in an attempt to maintain the integrity of the ruling clan against external threats. During this era, Japanese notions of a tragic hero, or “loser-hero,” were created, an archetype defined as a warrior who suffers an inglorious death or defeat after a life spent winning and completing noble deeds.