TV personality Koji Imada, freelance announcer Akira Fukuzawa, and former Sakurazaka46 member Yuuka Sugai are the hosts of the variety show "Kaiun! Nandemo Kanteidan" (TV Tokyo, Tuesdays 8:54 PM). On the February 3rd broadcast, a painting by the solitary artist Yajuro Takashima appeared as a treasure.
The client became obsessed with collecting art after retirement, and has amassed over 60 pieces to date. His collection includes Japanese paintings by Ito Jakuchu, Kawai Gyokudō, and Higashiyama Kaii, as well as Western paintings by Aoki Shigeru, Kishida Ryusei, and Foujita Tsuguharu, among other big names. Because he won all of them at online auctions, his acquaintances mock him, saying they're all fakes, but he is confident that they are genuine because he carefully assessed their authenticity before bidding.
When he rented a nearby hall to hold an exhibition of his collection, it was a huge success, attracting over 100 visitors. The treasure was a still life painting by Yajuro Takashima, known for his paintings of candles, which he bought at auction five years ago for about 100,000 yen.
Believing in his own eye for quality, he personally valued the item at 2 million yen. Unfortunately, however, it was found to be a fake and the final price was 5,000 yen. Yamamura Koichi, who performed the appraisal, said, "Takashima Yajuro's reputation is steadily increasing, and if it were genuine, it would be worth 10 million yen." The client expressed his disappointment, saying, "I can be proud of having been able to appear here."
