Site of Kano Motonobu’s Mansion
[HIGASHIJIN]
Kano Motonobu (1476–1559) was a renowned painter and the son of Kano Masanobu (1434–1530), chief painter to the Ashikaga shogunate (military government) that ruled Japan from 1338 to 1573. Together they established the Kano school of painting, which was held in high regard by the ruling class and came to dominate the Japanese art world until the nineteenth century.
The Kano style was derived from a form of Chinese ink painting in which subtle and nuanced brushstrokes were used to express landscapes and natural features. Motonobu developed this style further, incorporating traditional Japanese techniques alongside Chinese ones. His innovations allowed the Kano school to explore a variety of styles and attract a large number of apprentices.
The site of Kano Motonobu’s mansion, where he lived and worked, is marked by a simple stone monument in the middle of a residential street.