YAZAKI Chiyoji

Yabakei is where the legend of Monk Zenkai is passed down.This was once a difficult place to travel, and many people lost their lives there.Zenkai took up his chisel and hammer and spent countless years carving out a safe tunnel for the people.Based on this legend, Kikuchi Kan wrote "Beyond Gratitude and Enmity," leaving behind a masterpiece that is still read today.Furthermore, Yabakei's stunning scenery, reminiscent of a landscape painting, has inspired artists, literary figures, and travelers.For example, Rai Sanyo depicted this scenery in his "Yabakei Zumaki" (Records of the Scenery of Yabakei) and wrote a Chinese poem saying, "Yabakei Mountain is like no other place in the world."This is why it is called Yabakei and became widely known among the people.Since 1918, Yazaki Chiyoji has switched from oil paints to pastels, and has traveled and held solo exhibitions wherever he went.He is, so to speak, a traveling painter.Yazaki Chiyoji is likely one of the painters and travelers inspired by this land, where stories and scenery live.