Iconography of the Palm. 8 Ema of Kumano Shrine

Ema of Kumano Shrine in Aramachi, Yuzawa City

An ema of a bear at Kumano Shrine in Aramachi, Yuzawa City. On the right, it says 'Meiji 20 (1887), Hinoto-i, September,' and on the left, 'Painted by Chikamatsu Eiwakin.'
Chikamatsu Eiwa was a Kano-school painter born in Bunsei 4 (1821), whose real name was Endo Shomasu. His art name was Setsuo, his courtesy name was Ritsukei, and his other art name was Tokusen-en. He served for generations as a tea master and personal painter for the Satake-Minami family, but during a censorship incident in Man'en 1 (1860), he fled to Edo while under investigation, changed his name, and was later employed by the Yashima Domain. It is said that he died in Hokkaido in Meiji 22 (1889) at the age of 69.

In fact, this censorship incident was related to a family dispute within the Satake-Minami family at the end of the Edo period. During the Jodo-ji Benten Festival in Man'en 1 (1860), a gaku-doro hung in front of the gate depicted four samurai worshipping a woman's portrait as if she were a deity, alongside a satirical poem reading 'The foundation is the two characters of this fleeting world,' as a scene of the Hojo family's Four Heavenly Kings Tamamon Festival. This was seen as a depiction of the Harada and Aramaki faction worshipping Ito, the wife of Aramaki Juzo. The artist, Endo Shomasu, was to be punished, but he fled to Edo during the investigation, later changed his name, and served the Yashima Domain.
Townspeople who loved riddles realized that the 'Hojo family' referred to the Minami family, which is the opposite direction, and that the 'Four Heavenly Kings' referred to the four men currently holding power in the Satake-Minami family: the two chief retainers Harada Orie and Aramaki Juzo, and their faction members Inoue Kuemon and Miyo Naoe. They also realized that 'Tamamon (Festival)' was a metaphor for female genitalia. They interpreted the satirical poem as meaning that the family dispute that shook the foundations of the Satake-Minami family had been settled by the actions of Aramaki Juzo's wife, Ito, and that the subject of the painting was the Harada-Aramaki faction worshipping Ito.
Ito was the eldest daughter of Ishikawa Jinuemon of Iwasaki. When Shizuhime, the eldest daughter of the 14th head of the Satake-Minami family, was born in Koka 4 (1847), Ito was hired as her nurse. She was deeply trusted by Yoshimochi, and through his arrangement, she became the second wife of Aramaki Juro.
When Yoshimochi died in Ansei 2 (1856), his younger brothers Hayakawa Fusashiro and Sagoro became assistants because his heir, Saburo, was still a child. From this time on, the conflict between the factions of senior retainers intensified, leading to what is known as the Satake-Minami family dispute.
Yamagata Ichinoshin, who had been forced to resign from his position as chief retainer in Kaei 2 (1849) due to unpopularity, brought in the Hayakawa Fusashiro and Sagoro brothers, expelled the opposing Harada-Aramaki faction, and succeeded in returning to his post. In response, Aramaki Juzo appealed to Oyama Wakasa in Innai. Although the petition was forwarded to Kubota, it did not become public because things had already been arranged, and he returned to Yuzawa.
It was Juzo's wife, Ito, who saved them from this predicament. By dropping the petition she had obtained into the suggestion box at Kubota Castle, she opened the way for a re-investigation. This time, the Yamagata-Sudo faction was expelled, and the Harada-Aramaki faction was reinstated. To them, Ito was truly a savior.
It is likely that Endo Shomasu, who drew this caricature, was anti-Harada-Aramaki. However, since he drew the scenery of the Innai Silver Mine and the interior of the mine upon request in Genji 1 (1864), it seems he had already been pardoned by then.
This is just my own speculation, but I think Shomasu might have fled to the Kamigata region instead of Edo. The names of painters in the Edo period were sometimes given as puns. It is known that 'Sharaku' comes from 'sharakusei' (impudent) and 'Oi' comes from the voice calling 'Oi!' (Hey!). I suspect 'Eiwa' might have been named after 'korya eewa' (this is great).

Ema depicting bears are rare, and this subject is also unusual. It is said that before hibernating, bears apply plenty of honey to their hands (front paws) and lick them when they wake up during hibernation. The reason bear paws are considered a delicacy in Chinese cuisine seems to stem from this habit of applying honey. This painting depicts exactly that situation, and the sight of the bear curled up in a hole licking its paw seems somewhat humorous and human.
Due to the aforementioned circumstances, it is said that many of Endo Shomasu's works remain in Yashima but few in Yuzawa, but perhaps there are still unknown works sleeping, like this ema.

Komakuma (Guardian Bears) of Kumano Shrine in Kamiyoshida, Hiraka-machi, Yokote City

Akita newspapers have a section for bear sightings. Perhaps because they have started appearing in human settlements without hesitation in recent years, bears are sighted somewhere in the prefecture almost every day.
I didn't want to meet them if I could help it, but I finally encountered them. And two at once. One had its mouth open, and the other had its mouth closed, wearing a fearless smile. And on their chests was a crescent-shaped mark. There was no doubt they were Asiatic black bears... even if they were stone statues.
This time, I was saved by the fact that the bears didn't move. A pair of 'Komakuma' (guardian bears), not 'Komainu' (guardian dogs), in A-Un. When I checked the name of the shrine, as you might have guessed, it was 'Kumano Shrine.' It is located in Kamiyoshida, Hiraka-machi, Yokote City. I like the simple idea that because it is a Kumano Shrine, it should be a bear, not a three-legged crow, whether it's an ema or a stone statue.