For four and a half years, I worked at a high school on the side of a mountain in Takamatsu City in Kagawa Prefecture. The school was about a mile (1500 meters) from the nearest train station, and the whole way to the school was uphill. When I took the train to work, I walked with students from the station up the hill. Most walked with friends, some walked alone, and some walked with me. Usually, though, I walked much more quickly than the students, so I cheerfully greeted them and kept on trekking.
Along the road, there were many bonsai pine tree farms. I found out that this area, Kinashi, is a major domestic producer of bonsai! There was also one stretch that was lined with oak trees. During the acorn-producing season, the owner hung a sign that cracked me up every time I saw it. It read, "Don't pick the acorns!"
However, the point in Kinashi that most appealed to me was Kamitaka Pond, which lay near the steepest part of the incline. I saw ducklings and turtles swimming around in the water, and herons were often walking in the shallows. In the winter, the sun would be setting as I left school, so I could enjoy the reflection of a sunset on the surface of the water. In the summer, the bright blue sky and puffy, white clouds reflected off the water. On foggy fall days, the pond could almost disappear in the grayness. Though I couldn’t see the crows in the fog, I could hear their eerie caws echoing on the mountain. Those were my favorite days.
I took many, many pictures of this pond during the years I worked there. I made a folder on my computer where I saved those photos. I took the photos with my little flip phone, so most of the pictures aren't great quality, but looking at them still fills me with a happy nostalgia. Working at that school was a joy, and living in Kagawa was pretty close to heaven for me. I think it's time to use those pictures for an art project.
月刊アートプロジェクト、A Yokai A Monthは付喪神たちの百鬼夜行。付喪神とは、長いこと使われてきた物や道具に魂が宿り、やがて妖怪となったそうです。 A monthly art project, A Yokai A Month, is a night parade of 100 demons tsukumogami. It is said that tsukumogami are objects and tools that have been used for a long time, and their souls dwell in them, eventually turning them into yokai. #mayamiyama #ayokaiamonth #creativechallenge #monthlyartproject #drawing #sketch #japanesefolklore #yokai #ayakashi #mononoke #ghost #monster #spooky #nightparadeof100demons #tsukumogami #妖怪 #妖 #付喪神 #付喪神絵巻 #百鬼夜行 https://www.instagram.com/p/CpNi2O-yRf2/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
月刊アートプロジェクト、A Yokai A Monthは座敷童子。主に岩手県に伝わる妖怪で、座敷・蔵に住む神と言われる。家人に悪戯をはたらき、見た者には幸運が訪れる、家に富をもたらすなどの伝承があります。
Monthly art project, A Yokai A Month is Zashiki-Warashi. This yokai mainly transmitted in Iwate Prefecture, it is said to be a god who lives in tatami rooms and storehouses. There are legends such as playing tricks on family members, bringing good luck to those who see them, and bringing wealth to the family.