Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an outstanding and incredibly scarce Japanese print, titled Illustration of Lieutenant Ota’s Assault, 5th Cavalry Regiment Near Heiniucheng Village, Tianjin. It was printed on August 5, Meiji 33 (1900) by Kasai Torajiro of Saiundo at 15 Minami-Norimono-cho, Kanda-ku, Tokyo. This was part of the Pictorial on War Disturbance of Qing series of woodblock prints documenting major military conflicts in China during the twilight of the Qing Dynasty, in this case the Boxer Rebellion.

The scene is commonly identified in English as “Second Lieutenant Ota, 5th Cavalry Regiment, Charging a Village near Tientsin Castle.” A contemporary account of the subject places the action on July 13, 1900, when Japanese General Fukushima, concerned that Chinese forces might threaten the Allied rear, dispatched cavalry under Lieutenant Ōta to reconnoiter. The detachment encountered resistance at a village outside Tianjin, providing the subject for this dramatic print.

The lithographic print depicts Japanese Army Lieutenant Ota’s Assault as part of the 5th Cavalry Regiment near Heiniucheng Village, Tianjin, China. In the background, other troops can be seen fighting, but in the far distance are three more arriving armies, carrying the flags of the United States of America, France, and Imperial Germany. 

The print itself measures 18⅝ x 23⅝” but it was pasted long ago to a board measuring 19 x 25”. There is some tearing and loss of material along the edge of the print itself, so it makes sense why it was attached to the board. It could do with some proper framing. 

Japanese pictorial prints of the Boxer Rebellion occupy an important place between traditional Meiji-era military imagery and modern illustrated war reporting. This example is especially notable for its 5th Cavalry Regiment subject, depiction of Lieutenant Ōta’s reconnaissance action near Tianjin, multinational Allied flags, 1900 publication, and Kasai Torajirō / Seiun-dō association.

The combination of its large format, dramatic cavalry subject, surviving color, Boxer Rebellion context, and scarce Japanese lithographic production makes this an exceptional piece of turn-of-the-century military artwork. Despite the edge losses and old board mounting, it remains a visually powerful and historically significant representation of Japan’s participation in the 1900 China campaign.