永訣の月　（源九郎義経公最期の肖像）

義経公が最期となる衣川の舘で悲運の将が最期の前日を家来と共に静寂に過ごした場面です。外の闇から窓越しに月光が差し、霊魂がただようような様を描きました。身に迫りくる心の慟哭を表現したかったのです。　　　(2002年作　個人蔵)

Moonbeams Dimly Glancing upon Yoshitsune and His Men on the Eve of the Last Farewell (The Last Portrait of MINAMOTO no Yoshitsune)

This work depicts the scene in which Yoshitsune, ill-fated hero, spent the eve of his last day with his men in sombre silence. Through the window is seen a misty moonbeam dissolving in darkness, which creates an ominous atmosphere in his room as if spirits of the other world were evoked. I would like to express his noble and heroic impassibility in a foreboding about his tragic destiny. (2002, private collection)

永訣の月　　　oil on canvas  91.0×72.8cm

義経、一の谷へ

Yoshitsune Departing for the Battle of Ichi-no-tani　

義経、一の谷へ　　　　oil on canvas　72.7×60.6cm

勇者の蓮（中尊寺蓮）

Paladin’s Lotus Flowers (Chûson-ji Temple Lotus)

（中尊寺蓮）記録によると、１１８９年源義経と妻子が居住する奥州平泉の衣川の舘に、藤原三代の泰衡(やすひら)が突如５００の軍勢を率いて襲い、義経方が僅か２０名足らずで応戦するもかなわず、妻子と共に自決するに至りました。義経３１歳でした。藤原泰衡の裏切り行為でしたが、その後、源頼朝により打首となり、不憫に思った中尊寺の僧が泰衡の首桶に蓮の花を添えて埋蔵したと伝えられます。その首桶から発見された種が８００余年の時空を超えて季節になると中尊寺の大池に大輪の蓮の花が咲き誇ります。　　（岩手県平泉市中尊寺）

〔補足〕１９５０年、植物学者の大賀一郎博士が泰衡の首桶の中から数個の蓮の種を発見。１９９３年、大賀博士門下の中島時子教授が、８１０年の時を経て発芽に成功。

According to historical records FUJIWARA no Yasuhira, the fourth head of the family, made a surprise attack on Koromogawa-no-tate, where Yoshitsune stayed with his wife and daughter, with 500 soldiers in 1189. Although Yoshitsune fought back bravely with less than twenty allies, he was forced to accept his defeat and take his own life together with the lives of his wife and daughter in vain. He was then thirty-one years old. It was a double-cross of Yasuhira who had first protected Yoshitsune against the latter’s elder brother MINAMOTO no Yoritomo, leader of samurai endeavouring to establish the shogunate (samurai government). However, Yasuhira was subjugated and punished by decapitation by the order of Yoritomo, who was alarmed about Yasuhira’s clan gaining power. Later a Buddhist monk of Chûson-ji Temple near Koromogawa-no-tate, who felt pity for Yasuhira, put about one hundred lotus seeds in the bucket for his head and placed it in one of the buildings (Konji-dô, or Golden Hall) of the temple. These seeds were found in 1950, and they were sent to a botanist Dr. ÔGA Ichiro who was an authority on lotus at that time. He tried to germinate the seeds, but did not achieve it before his death in 1965. Then Prof. NAGASHIMA Tokiko, an apprentice of Dr. ÔGA, took over the project. In 1993 did she succeed in germination, not in blooming though. After the five-year trials, it was in 1998 that she finally succeeded in blooming. More than eight centuries had passed since the age of Yoshitsune and Yasuhira. Now we can see the flowers of this miraculous lotus in summer in a big pond of Chuson-ji Temple.

藤原清衡の夢（桜一樹）

An Ideal Vision Seen by FUJIWARA no Kiyohira (A Cherry Tree)

奥州藤原三代の初代当主・藤原清衡公がこの地・平泉を初めて訪れ、“束稲山（たばしねやま）”を前景に北上川のほとりにたたずみ、平泉政権の樹立の夢を託したまぼろしの風景を描いた作品です。

This work depicts the ideal vision seen by FUJIWARA no Kiyohira, the first family head, on his first visit to Hiraizumi (currently belonging to Iwate Prefecture). Looking out over Mount Tabashine, he stood on the bank on the Kitakami River, and dreamed of the establishment of his government based in Tohoku region.

藤原清衡の夢（桜一樹）　　　oil on canvas　60.6×50.0cm

静（しずか）の夢　

Dream of Lady Shizuka, Yoshitsune’s Mistress

静（しずか）の夢　　　oil on canvas　65.2×53.0cm