ST006 Mizumo's birthplace

Snow Treasure

Painting size: 16cm x 23cm

Framing size: 33.5cm x 43cm

Mizumo's birthplace is located along the old Hokkoku Kaido road in Nonoichi City.

During the feudal period, this family served as "kimoiri," a town official responsible for the affairs of the town, and there is an anecdote that in 1580, Maeda Toshiie welcomed Toyotomi Hideyoshi to this house.

It's about 7 kilometers from here to Kanazawa Castle, a walk of just under two hours, so I suppose the idea was to take a break here first. Inside, there was a garden known for its beautiful autumn foliage, as well as a tea room. Toshiie must have thought that Hideyoshi would like it.

It has a very unusual structure called a "farmhouse-style townhouse," with the exterior being in the style of a farmhouse and the floor plan being that of a townhouse. I like its exterior because it gives me a nostalgic feeling.

When I exhibited this painting at Kaleido in 2025, I heard from a Kaleido staff member that they manage the house. I wonder if they are descendants of the Mizuke family? I can't help but wonder if they actually live there, and my imagination plays an important role when I paint.

In this painting, the trees and sky behind the house are depicted with enough force to disrupt the structure of the picture. In response to them is the red-painted road in front of the house.

With this, the houses were pushed to the forefront and began to come alive.