Un sueño en la Floresta

Oil on canvas

33.3 × 19.0cm | 13 × 7 1/2in

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Stretching out deep in the mountains in my hometown Oita prefecture in Kyushu, untouched "Oike primeval Forest"- primeval forests have become rare to be seen even in Kyushu, Japan's third largest island and a mountainous area located in southwestern Japan-is the motif of this oil painting.

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In "Oike Primeval Forest" located at 850 meters on the northside of "Kurotake", which is one of Kuju mountain range in "Aso- Kuju National Park" that straddles the border between Oita and Kumamoto in Kyushu, there are lots of huge trees such as beech trees and maple trees. Once you step into the forest, the leaves and brunches of 100-year-old noble trees stretches over your head.

 

Only hunters used to enter into this forest, and it is said that even such experts often lost their ways.

 

An anecdote, that is like Japanese version of Rip Van Winkle, has been transmitted orally from one generation to the next from ancient times. It says, once upon a time, a hunter who entered this forest and lost his way met a hermit playing "Go" in the mountain, and was taught the way back to the village. When he returned to his village, he discovered that one year had passed even though he had spent only one day in the mountain. Because of this story, this forest was once called "A Forest of Mystery".