Kote-e

Kote-e, Trowel picture of former Yoshinoya-ryokan

  In the early Showa, around the Hagyu town, there were crowded and flourish.  Especially two hotels, Yoshinoya and Yaohachi, were having rectangular buildings next to each other from east to west.  Only a part of the building of Yoshinoya exists until now.
  The Kote-e ,drawn on the wall faced to the street, can be seen at Yoshinoya.
  Kote-e(the trowel picture) means the Japanese-style relief made of plaster (named “trowel” because a craftsman draws by trowels).  The motif of Kote-e is the story welcoming happiness.  The flowers, birds, wind and the moon have been drawn so colorfully with colored plaster. Wealthy merchants often used this motif to decorate walls, as the symbol of wealth.  We can see such a relief in the precinct of Kodenji-temple in Kurosawa.