―"Iroudo" is the name of the trailheads of Mt. Seidake and Mt. Mitsudake in the Southern Alps.
It's the mountain that inspired me to become a writer.
I fell in love with mountains when I was in junior high school and started climbing in high school.
After that, I was fascinated by the beauty of Mt. Seidake, which I learned about when I was 25 years old.
I really wanted to make this into a picture, which led me to paint.
Have you loved drawing since you were a child?
―No, not at all (laughs). With the intention of expressing the beauty of Mt. Seidake, I learned painting on my own.
That's a great passion! It's surprising that they try to do something they've never done before.
You didn't want to take pictures, but you wanted to paint.
―Yes, I didn't think that photography could convey the emotion I felt, so I really wanted to express what I felt in my paintings.
It was truly a turning point in my life. Mr. Iroudo seems to love Minami Mie very much, but was there any reason for that?
―Yes, that was also a shocking encounter. There is a pass called Nisaka Pass on National Route 42 in Minami-Mie, and I was shocked by the wonderful view of the Pacific Ocean from there. I wonder if there is such a blue and beautiful sea in Japan.
Even if I didn't go out of my way to travel abroad, I felt that there was no other atmosphere like abroad. That led me to make a pilgrimage to various places in Minami-Mie (laughs).
What theme was it drawn on?
-This is an image of an imaginary worship hall that worships Mt. Hakusan in Ishikawa Prefecture.
I drew it with the intention of Kikurihime (Kukurihime enshrined in Hakusan Shrine).
Actually, this is digital art, so it's a draft to make into an oil painting later.
It seems that there was a work made of beads on Instagram, but it was a very pop and cute work. You are working on various methods.
―That is a work with the motif of the beach of Minami-Mie. I think the bright tropical atmosphere of Minami-Mie matches the cuteness of the beads.
Next time, I will have a solo exhibition at Japan Bridge Art, so I plan to exhibit there.
Mr. Iroudo loves Minami-Mie, but if you were asked what to recommend Minami-Mie, where would you give it?
―This is Akakura from Kumano. I think it is an area that has a sacred atmosphere in Kumano and can enjoy an atmosphere like no other, as if you are in a mythical world.
You are familiar with the world of mythology and gods, but if you were to compare yourself to a god, who would you think?
-I feel like I'm afraid, but is it the "Toyosu Omikami" enshrined in the outer shrine of Ise Jingu?
Toyosu Omikami was a god who was good at making sake and cooking to cure any disease, but he was deprived of his feathered robe while bathing, so he was trapped by humans and spent his days in misfortune. After it was invited by Amaterasu to move to Ise Jingu, it fully demonstrated its power and is now enshrined as a shrine god of the outer shrine.
When I was young, I felt like I was easy to be used by people and not rewarded, but my life has changed since I went to Ise, so I feel a sense of familiarity.
―For a while after I started painting, I wasn't confident in what I was drawing, but after coming to Mie, I gradually became more confident in my paintings as I interacted with warm people and received encouragement.
Also, I was not good at swimming at all, but I was attracted by the beauty of the sea and started diving, and I started driving myself everywhere to visit various shrines and mountains after being a paper driver. All of them are techniques that can be done with the charm of Minami-Mie (laughs).
That's great, isn't it? What is the charm of Minami-Mie in one word?
―It's a warm people and a sense of liberation like a tropical country.
I hope that many people will know the charm of Minami-Mie and visit it.
Finally, what do you think is your role as a writer?
―I want to express the charm I feel and make people want to go there, and make connections between land and people.
I want to be an artist who can convey the charm of my hometown, which is now forgotten.
I would be happy if I could give back to the land that I was indebted to.
Mr. Iroudo spoke passionately about the charm of Minami-Mie from beginning to end. The words that I want to make a match with Minami Mie, who has made me grow, feel like a god of matchmaking.
We are paying attention to the future activities of Iroudo, a new type of artist who works on the theme of matchmaking and giving back.