On May 20, the Hirosaki City Board of Education released the ghost painting "Hangon Konozu" in the collection of "Kudoji" (Sakamoto, Hirosaki City) by Maruyama Okyo. It was announced that it was the true writing of the board of education.

"Kudoji Temple" is a ghost painting depicting a woman who cannot see her legs, and is open to the public only once a year on May 18th of the lunar calendar. According to the chief priest, Mitsuaki Sudo, he has been asking the Hirosaki City Cultural Properties Deliberation Committee to investigate since last summer in order to confirm the authenticity. On the same day, the Hirosaki City Board of Education certified it as a city tangible cultural property.

The survey revealed that Motonori Morioka, the chief retainer of the Hirosaki Domain, who lost his two wives and his mistress 22 years old, asked Maruyama Okyo to make a memorial service for them. In February 1784 (Tenmei 4), Motonori Morioka donated the painting to Kudoji Temple, which is closely related to the Morioka family, and committed suicide in April of the following year.

Maruyama Okyo, the author of the national treasure "Yukimatsu Folding Screen," is also known as a master of ghost painting. According to the box writing of "Kanozu Kaoru" and the "Illustration of Yutama" contained in the box, there are three axes of ghost paintings drawn by Okyo. One of them is the ghost painting "Oyuki no Phantom" deposited at the University of California, Berkeley Museum, which depicts a mistress standing on a dream pillow. Although it was considered to be the only autograph from the beginning, the two axes became clear because the "Returning Soul Kayukizu" without a seal was also an autograph.

Keiko Tanaka, the author of "Envious Picture" (Seifumi Shinkosha), which summarizes ghost paintings from the perspective of Japanese art, and an assistant professor at the University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts, said, "In a survey of graveyards and past books, I was actually a close relative of Motonori Morioka. It is significant in the history of art that was a model and that the process of production and dedication was supported. I often used the story of "I want to see my loved one again" in the title of the work. I can understand. "

"Comparing the return soul Kanozu and the illusion of snow, the composition and drawing method are almost the same, but the facial expressions are slightly different." "In both works, the way of drawing the eyes, nose and mouth is familiar to the typical noble women such as Yang Guifei drawn by Okyo, and rather than drawing a specific individual, it is an idealized way of drawing a beautiful woman. It follows, "says Mr. Tanaka.

"'Oyuki's illusion' is considered to be the holographic will of the response because of the seal, but it lacks the illusion that it comes out of the picture. For example, it is understandable that the painter did not enter the seal. It would be appropriate to see Kudoji Temple once a year through the smoke of the incense burner. "

Mr. Sudo, who became the chief priest of Kudoji Temple in 2017 (Heisei 29), said, "Since I majored in archeology, I have a desire to pass on the things held in Kudoji Temple to the next generation. Strong. " It is said that the "Returning Soul Kanozu" was deteriorating, so it took about a year to make a full-scale restoration in 2019.

Chief priest Sudo said, "The box writing describes how volunteers in the area saved the ghost painting as a pawnbroker in the Meiji era. We will continue to protect and convey ghost paintings as a cultural property of the city together with local residents. I want to go. "

The "Returning Soul Kanozu" will be open to the public on June 27th this year, and is scheduled to be open to the public from August 13th to 15th.