To The Old Site Of Mr. Kurando Terashima’s House in Kanazawa City, many people both from Japan and overseas visit for blooming Dodan Tsutsuji (a kind of azalea), autumn colours, and ‘Kensen’, the house’s garden with a dry pond in Kaiyu Shiki (excursion) style.

In 1801, Kurando Terashima (1777-1837) was brought into the Terashima clan and worked for Kaga Domain, as a successor to his elder brother who died at the age of 29. Since early in his life, Kurando was a self-taught Confucian, and became familiar with the culture of craft, calligraphic works and paintings. The Terashima clan’s collection includes 168 pieces of painting, stationery, writing material, arms, horse gear, tea set, tableware, and festival dolls representing the emperor and the empress. There are calligraphic works and paintings by renowned artists such as Tan’yu Kano, Taiga Ikeno, Gyokudo Uragami, and Jakuchu Ito among others. This shows us Kurando’s deep knowledge of art and culture.

Kurando was kind to the poor. He was deeply concerned about the increasing problems of the devastation of farm villages, economic deprivation, and moral degeneration. He had courage to stand up against the domain’s policy. He challenged the domain’s duties, and as a result, was condemned in exile to Notojima Island. He continued his resistance against the domain’s duties for the people living on the island, but became ill half a year after his exile, and passed away.

The unwillingness of people involved in art to compromise for political power has not changed so much since. It seems that making a way through the world is opposite to the attitude of fighting for justice. The purity of Kurando’s spirit, however, was the foundation of his creativity. Perhaps, for him, being away from the daily duty and interacting with cultured people, enjoying tea ceremonies, and working on calligraphic works and paintings in his studio ‘Haku un fukaki tokoro (place of deep white cloud)’, might have been the moments when he could go back to his own self.

At Kurando Terashima’s house, which became a historical site designated as Cultural Property in 1974 and was opened to the public from 1976, we are able to enjoy the seasonal elegance of the garden, view the collection, and have Japanese tea. In a refined tea room, you admire the azure-blue peony flower drawn by late Oyo Terashima (Kurando’s artist name) whilst having dry sweets from a traditional Japanese confectioner in Kanazawa, the three star shape of which is inspired by the Terashima family crest. This could be a highlight of your trip in Kanazawa.

photo:hiraku ikeda