Hiromitsu TAKAHASHI
Smoking Pipe - 2026
Image Size H×W
49.5
× 49.5 cm
Sheet H×W
64
× 61 cm
Medium
stencil
figurative
edition 10
On a spring evening, the legendary outlaw Ishikawa Goemon appears atop the magnificent Sanmon Gate of Nanzen-ji Temple in Kyoto. Clad in a flamboyant costume—a gold-tooled leather surcoat over a crimson chirimen silk under-robe—Goemon leisurely puffs on an oversized kiseru (traditional Japanese smoking pipe) before delivering his iconic line "What a magnificent view! What a magnificent view!"
"Sanmon Gosan no Kiri" - The Nanzenji Mountain Gate Scene
1. Goemon's Elegant Flower Viewing
On stage stands the magnificent Sanmon gate of Nanzen-ji, surrounded by cherry blossoms in full bloom. Ishikawa Goemon, the greatest thief in the land, leisurely smokes his pipe on the gate's upper level, gazing out over the beauty of the capital in springtime and murmuring, "What a splendid view, what a splendid view..."
2. The Blood-Stained Letter and a Hidden Bloodline
A white hawk comes flying in, a letter in its beak. It is a blood-stained testament left behind by Goemon's real father, Sō Sokei, a high official of the Great Ming Empire, at the moment he was killed by Mashiba Hisayoshi (a character modeled on Hashiba Hideyoshi), the ruling power of the time.
3. Fury at a Double Betrayal
Until now, Goemon has sought revenge against Hisayoshi believing he killed his adoptive father, Takechi Mitsuhide, who raised him. But this letter reveals a shocking truth: both his birth father and his adoptive father were killed by Hisayoshi. This ignites a fierce flame of vengeance within him.
4. Facing His Sworn Enemy, Mashiba Hisayoshi
As Goemon trembles with rage, a lone man dressed as a pilgrim passes beneath the gate, having just driven off the pursuing guards. This man is none other than Mashiba Hisayoshi himself - the very man whose life Goemon seeks.
5. The "Heaven and Earth" Mie Pose
Hisayoshi recites Goemon's famous death poem, revealing that he has seen through his disguise. Exposed, Goemon hurls a dagger (shuriken) down from the gate's upper level, which Hisayoshi catches with a water ladle he happens to be holding. With Goemon above on the gate and Hisayoshi below glaring up at him, the two strike Kabuki's iconic "heaven and earth" mie pose, and the curtain falls.
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Hiromitsu TAKAHASHI
Smoking Pipe - 2026
