Poster Illustration「Katari-tsugu」 for Tadami-Machi Kawai Tsugunosuke Memorial Museum

只見町河井継之助記念館 「語り継ぐ。」ポスターイラスト

This illustration boldly expresses the life of Tsugunosuke.
He was selected for a key position in the Echigo-Nagaoka clan at a young age and cultivated his strong mind and thoughtfulness through engaging in political reform. He overcame hardship throughout his life and continued fighting until the end.

Katari-tsugu：passing the story down

At the time of the Boshin War (a civil war in Japan from 1868 to 1869) Kawai Tsugunosuke tried to maintain neutrality without belonging to either the new government forces (western forces), centered on the Satsuma and Choshu domains, and the former Shogunate forces (eastern forces).
He tried to proceed with peace negotiations with the western forces but was refused, and he decided to fight with eastern forces.

After he was shot below his left knee in the battle at Nagaoka castle, he was unable to stay on the battlefield as the infection of the wound became severe. He headed for the Aizu clan planning to make a recovery. He traveled along a long steep mountain path called “Hachijuri-touge” but he never made it to Aizu. He passed away at Dr. Yazawa’s house in Shiozawa, Tadami Town.

Tadami-machi Kawai Tsugunosuke Memorial Museum is situated in Shiozawa, Tadami Town, Fukushima Prefecture. It is near Iouji Temple, where the grave of Echigo-Nagaoka clan’s chief retainer, Tsugunosuke Kawai is located.

In the museum, the room where Tsugunosuke passed away has been kept as it was, which the Yazawa family has preserved for five generations.

Every year on August 16th, the anniversary of the death of Kawai Tsugunosuke, a memorial service is held in front of Kawai Tsugunosuke’s grave at Iouji Temple.

The novel of Tsugunosuke’s life by Shiba Ryotaro, called Touge has been turned into a movie, which will be released in 2020.

Some illustration information is available in About the Art（English）

Tadami, Fukushima pref.
Located in a heavy snowfall region in the south-west of Fukushima prefecture on the border with Niigata prefecture. Declared「Shizen shuto・Tadami（Capital of Nature・Tadami）in 2007.
Its natural environment and resources together with the life and culture of its residents were judged particularly valuable among the modern world environment,
In 2014 it was designated as a biosphere reserve under the Man and the Biosphere Program. UNESCO’s Japan committee calls them Eco Parks.