The principal figure, Ariwara no Narihira, sits on a tatami mat, leaning on a wooden shoulder rest of a type frequently shown in classical poet portraits. To his left sit a boy-attendant and an older retainer whose respective roles are to serve sake and food and to provide paper, ink, and brush to Narihira who is contemplating the cherry blossoms across a stream. Narihira is one of Japan's most esteemed poets. Although he died in the 9th century, idealized representations of what he may have looked like continued to be painted into the 19th century.