The other day, we held a gallery talk at Nihonbashi Takashimaya.
On the day, Ms Reiko Nagao, former secretary to Ms Jakucho Setouchi, also took the stage. When Ms Nagao recounted the moment when Ms Jakucho told me, ’Let's make Tendai-ji a World Heritage site,’ the vivid atmosphere of that instant filled the entire venue, and I myself felt deeply moved.
This region, home to Tendai-ji Temple, symbolises themes universal to humanity: the inheritance of prayer spanning ten thousand years, the memory of war etched into the history of lacquer, and the vow for peace that Ms Jakucho continually advocated.
The display panels used in this talk, imbued with the aspiration ’Tendai-ji Temple as a World Heritage Site’, will also be exhibited at an exhibition scheduled for next year, again at Nihonbashi Takashimaya.
The next event will be my first held at the “Art Gallery”. As a lacquer artist, and as one entrusted with the wishes of Ms Jakucho, I sincerely hope that as many people as possible will come to appreciate the significance of this place and the beauty of lacquer.
