Episode 31: Isolation Blues

A representative from Kanto Jewels, Tomioka, is impressed by a Japanese painting hanging in Gallery Fake with a deep blue color created with azurite. His company has supplied azurite to the famous artist Sakakibara Nanzan, but can no longer supply it, and he asks Fujita for his source. Fujita initially declines, but then agrees to supply azurite on one condition, that he includes a specific painting in the company's upcoming Blue Collection exhibition. They visit Sakakibara Nanzan at his home studio, but Fujita makes some disparaging comments about the behavior of famous artists. Sakakibara recalls the name Fujita Touka, but Fujita denies knowing of him. However it is Fujita's father who created the bluish painting in Gallery Fake, but is now deceased. Fujita takes Sarah deep into the mountains where his father collected azurite. He tells her that years ago, many artists, including Sakakibara made forgeries to survive, but only Fujita's father was exposed and exiled. At the exhibition, Mitamura comments that Sakakibara's new masterpiece is a little disappointing, and another painting is holding the public's interest. It is a dynamic painting with a deep blue color by Fujita Touka that appears to have been finished recently.