Rikan and Shikan were the leading actors on the Osaka kabuki stage in the first two decades of the nineteenth century. The rivalry between them was intense, polarising kabuki fans and mobilising them to bitter disputes. This surimono, or print commemorating a poetry gathering, pictures Shikan (left), the younger of the two, dreaming of his dead rival (right) playing the role of Yorimasa. Despite their fierce competition, there is evidence that Shikan held Rikan's acting skills in high regard.

Kabuki theatre and woodblock prints flourished in the Edo period (1615-1868). They were products of and contributors to the increasingly vibrant urban cultures of Kyoto, Osaka and Edo (present-day Tokyo). Kabuki actors often participated in wider cultural activities than just the theatre, for example poetry salons. This is demonstrated by this print, which features a poem composed by Shikan.