1. I am wind or air. Who was born here is soil, they are born from the soil. I cannot be soil, therefore I am air.

 

2. I was driving to the art village, there was a low sun, very beautiful, and I saw a fox that came out from the side of the road. It happened really quickly, it just came out, looked at me and came back. I’ve seen foxes before but this fox was bright yellow and I can’t explain it but something about the fox made me feel like I wasn’t supposed to witness this… as if it was something that humans were not supposed to see. I was let in like a little secret by seeing that fox.

 

4. Through Physics I can look at small things throughout big things, like for example the universe, and mechanics. Everything is always functioning: small things like atoms and big things including me. Everything functions in the same way. This consciousness makes me feel I am part of the universe. When I felt it for the first time I was on the rooftop of the university building in Sendai.

I was just standing there when I looked at the stars. I was thinking about how the universe changes, about a supernova, and suddenly I felt it. 

 

5. The memory of this territory is for me really connected to the death of my parents. They died when I was 6 years old. In that time there were no public transportations and we had to cover long distances walking. My aunt was taking care of me after my parents. She used to bring me to the cemetery. One day we were walking in the snow, it was really cold and we wore kimonos. She carried me on her back, under her kimono, in contact with her skin to warm me up. When the spring comes I always remember my aunt. We stopped to rest and drink water from the river. The snow was melting and mixing itself with the river. 

Afterwards, when we were already on the warm train on the way back home, I saw a flower and I asked for the name: it was a tsukimi-sou. It’s the first flowers name that I’ve learned. It’s a lonely flower. I still look at things in the same way as when I was 6 years old, still curious about the new, as I was when I found the flower.

 

6. There is an old mine in Nishiaitzu which used to be the place where, during the second world war, the gunpowder was stored. I organized a tea party in that cave.

In order to make light, around this area, people used candles made from Daikon.

I ate the Daikon roots and cut them, then I put them on a piece of wood. I made the candles and I gave them to the participants. People entered into the caves holding the Daikon candles. Then we drank tea inside the cave. There was an old man with us, who used to work in that space when he was young. He told us about when he was young during the war.

 

9. When the seasons change, when the nature changes, when the sun comes out I wake up. When the winter becomes spring I feel that I need to start rice cropping.

 

11. When I was watching the disaster on tv it was a really big shock for me, I cannot forget the earthquake. Afterwards, the nuclear power plant exploded and nature was destroyed with that. Yes, my perception changed. Nature is now a dangerous thing for me, I can see how it’s beautiful and dangerous. Before the earthquake I’ve never thought about that, now beauty is connected with danger.

 

12. When I come home I feel the nature welcoming me back. It’s something I always feel, it’s laud. 

When I am beyond the last hill I start feeling it, I hear the nature saying: “oh, you are back!”