Good Fortune! Anything Appraisal Team:Is the folding screen by an Edo period painter authentic? AI gives it a "50/50" rating → Studio in an uproar over the "shocking result"

The variety show "Kaiun! Nandemo Kanteidan" (TV Tokyo, Tuesdays at 8:54 PM), hosted by talent Koji Imada, freelance announcer Akira Fukuzawa, and former Sakurazaka46 member Yuka Sugai, featured a folding screen by Soga Shohaku, an Edo period painter, in its 3-hour and 45-minute special broadcast on March 24th.

The client's father-in-law, though a civil servant, was quite well-off and collected various antiques, including calligraphy, paintings, and swords. Ten years ago, when the client donated his father-in-law's collection (old books) to a local museum, he showed a folding screen to a staff member who said, "That might be by Soga Shōhaku."

My wife and children both said it was "100% fake," and my only ally, my grandchild, told me, "If you have an AI check it, it's 50/50."

The client, expecting it to be genuine, valued it at "3 million yen." Sugai valued it at "9 million yen," while Imada judged it to be a fake and valued it at "20,000 yen."

The result was a shocking 18 million yen, which elicited loud cheers from the studio. Tomohiro Kaneko, manager of Shibunkaku Ginza, who conducted the appraisal, confirmed that it was an authentic work by Soga Shohaku. "At first glance, it may seem like it's painted haphazardly, but the varying shades of ink, and the skillful use of the difference in effect between the brush and the paintbrush, are evident in the depiction of the clothing and background. It was a truly wonderful piece of work to see."