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GUARDIANS
Maintaining harmony with nature is deeply ingrained in Japanese culture along with the belief in and veneration of divine spirits of nature: mountains, forests and rivers.
“Saikato” by Kunihiko Isshiki (Bronze)
Saikato is a spirit of the woods. Perched on her hand is an owl, the symbol of wisdom. The pair cast a knowing look over those who are lost in the woods.
“Poem of Kotankuru-Kamui” by Hidenori Yonesaka (Bronze, wood, etc)
A fitting installation under the forest canopy, these owls are considered the guardians of the hamlet (kotankuru-kamui in the language of the indigenous Ainu) and expresses the artist’s longing for sustainable forestry.
“Ode to Mother Earth” by Tetsu Suzuki (Bronze)
The sculpture is inspired by the Oshirasama folk tale about a love affair between a horse and a girl. Tragedy transforms them into celestial beings who find their home in a Mulberry tree, feeding off the leaves as silkworms thereby producing a special kind of silk.