Yoshitoshi here illustrates the courage of 12th-century warrior Nitta Shirō Tadatsune, depicting an incident in which the samurai braves a mysterious cave located on Mt. Fuji. He is shown here marching forward with a torch, while bats flap about in the misty darkness. Inside the cave, Nitta is greeted by a diety, an apparition of the bodhisattva Kannon. Nitta converses calmly with the bodhisattva as his retainers cower in fear outside the cave. Before vanishing into thin air, the bodhisattva commends Nitta for his bravery, as Yoshitoshi does with this reverential print.

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.