Why I’d Totally Follow This Guy’s Instagram If He Hadn’t Died In 1889

Kawanabe Kyosai. He’d have had the best instagram ever.

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Because Goth WAY before Goth

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Because FART BATTLES

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(Excuse me, can we just zoom in on that action for a moment?)

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Because elephant shenanigans

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Because before magical folkloric foxes can turn themselves into alluring women bent on tempting silly humans to their doom, they have to PRACTICE TRANSFORMING

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Because even spooks have to go to school

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Because in the endless battle between cats and carp, sometimes the fish sets a watery trap, and sometimes the cats get together and torment the drunken carp with tweezers, yes, TWEEZERS

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Because even crows have their bitchy days

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Because who WOULDN’T want to see an endless stream of drawings from a guy who draws smoking cats lying on carp boats being pulled by kittens?

Of course, these are just a small appetizer – the show is HUGE, and so full of great stuff, it took me over an hour to see it all. If you’re in Tokyo before “This is Kyosai: The Israel Goldman Collection” ends on April 16, 2017, GO. It’s at the Bunkamura in Shibuya, costs ¥1400 to get in, and subject me to an hour in the room with the winner of the fart battle if it’s not worth every yen. Here’s the link. All these images were shot from the show’s catalog, which is also worth every yen.

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Jonelle Patrick writes mysteries set in Tokyo. Her  fourth book –  Painted Doll  – is just out in paperback 

Watch the one-minute trailer (1:04)