Quilled Japanese Temple Tree

Recently I heard from Motoko Nakatani, who you might remember is a Japanese member of the North American Quilling Guild and supplier of my favorite quilling tool. She asked if I would like to see pictures of the work of her friend, Hitomi Shouko, who often quills supernatural creatures called yokai. People believe yokai generally exist as monsters... clearly not your typical quilling subject matter, but intriguing nonetheless. You can see images of Hitomi's yokai at her website [edit: no longer available].

But Hiomi's project that Maggie especially wanted to introduce me to is the one you see pictured here... it's an impressive quilled tribute to the Shiwafuruinari Temple tree. Located in Iwate, Japan, the temple's sacred tree, called a goshinboku, was destroyed by a typhoon a very long time ago.

Later, the mummified remains of a white fox were found inside the broken tree. A legend evolved that those who desire a long life should look for the hair of the white fox around the tree.

On March 11 of this year, you'll remember that a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck northeastern Japan. Hitomi was there at the time studying this temple. Fortunately she survived and was able to return to Tokyo. Hitomi says many mysterious places are located in the mountains, rivers, and coastal areas of this part of Japan that was so badly damaged. Progress is being made in reconstructing the area, and she hopes a peaceful way of life will someday be restored.