Rock Pressure (Warnings of Roof Falls)
1958 - 1963

Juatsu (Rakuban no Maebure)
[Rock Pressure (Warnings of Roof Falls)]
21.3 x 30.2 cm Ink Painting

When miners noticed signs of a roof fall from rock pressure, they said, "'Ni' ga kita."
Even though they had nerves of steel, it was too dangerous not to run away from their coalface in these cases. Pillars and kamisashis (wedges between the roof and pillars) broke, making loud noises and causing walls of coal to thunder. In case of a roof fall near a fault, even if there was a warning, there was no time for miners to carry out even their mining tools.
Miners were safe from the roof fall when they were each working on a single coalface, but it often occurred at a coalface mined by the long-wall method of coal mining.

Text at the Bottom Left
"Sorya nigero! Inochi atte no nigo han. Oyako yonin de issho no inochi."

"Let's get out of here! Where there is life, there is hope. I can enjoy 2 and a half go (450 ml) of sake and the four of our family can eat 1 sho (issho: 1.8 liters) of rice a day together (issho) if we survive."


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

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