Lastly, we will examine the “Flowers and Birds” fusuma panel on the western partition of the main hall.

As we stated earlier, this fusuma contains Christian symbols which were secretly included in the piece. The far left panel has a lily; do you see it? Each panel of this fusuma depicts one of the four seasons , and the lily is painted on the panel representing spring. However, in Japan, the lily is actually a fall flower. In Christianity, spring is the season for the holiday Easter, and the lily is also often used as a symbol of purity. There must be a reason why the lily, which is related to Christianity, is depicted here.

In the summer panel, three blue birds can be seen. These three birds represent the father (God), the son (Jesus), and the holy spirit, which make up the trinity. The triangular composition is similar to the depiction of angels and birds in Christian religious paintings.

On the far right panel, the winter panel, a rose is depicted. The rose represents God in Christianity. There are 5 roses, which may represent the stigmata. The roses are also painted on a rock, which may allude to the crucifixion that took place on a rock.

This is what scholars have come to believe when looking at how this fusuma relates to Christianity.

What do you think?