I am very happy that I was able to meet so many of you at the Bizen Pottery Festival.
Now that we have entered November, it has become quite chilly.
Speaking of this season, the Chinese pistache trees at the Special Historic Site Former Shizutani School are now at their peak autumn colors.
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When I went to take these photos, it was just slightly before the peak, so I could still see a few green leaves here and there.However, the autumn leaves illuminated by the lights were so fantastic that I found myself gazing at them for quite a while.
Shizutani, where Kawaguchi Tourakuen is located, has very few streetlights, and places like the Shizutani School, being a bit deeper in the mountains, are pitch black at night.
I felt that this created a jet-black night sky, which made the light-up display look even more beautiful.
I have processed the photos to emphasize that contrast with the black night sky as much as possible.
The contrast between black and crimson is exactly the same as the *yōhen* (kiln change) markings found on pottery.
The scarlet hue that seems to ooze from the vessel itself resembles the autumn leaves, which look as if the tree's life force is burning brightly.
Perhaps the autumn leaves and the beautiful night sky we have been admiring since ancient times are what nurtured the sensibility to find beauty in *yōhen*.
Special Historic Site Former Shizutani School Website