Why Did Japan Paint Fart Contests?

Why did Japanese artists draw enormous contests of flatulence? An 1868 print of a he-gassen, or fart battle, turns bodily humour into a crowded spectacle of exaggerated reactions. The joke has a longer history than it first appears, including comic scrolls and possible social satire. Explore what these outrageous scenes reveal about laughter, taboos and popular art in Japan.