Long ago, at Akashi Castle, I witnessed a flock of white birds slumbering peacefully in the arms of an old tree which grew at the edge of the castle’s moat. The birds appeared to me as blossoms floating gently in the tree’s embrace, each softly glowing against the darkened night sky. I have never witnessed a similar sight in all the years to follow; that image has remained with me, drifting up into my thoughts and dreams, as time passed by. Years later, I awoke one morning with the lingering impression of the dream I had while sleeping and I wound up painting that imagery. So, at last, the tree and the sleeping flock of birds found its way onto my canvas, merging memory from the past with images from my dreams and present by placing the tree and the flock before the skyline of the city I call home.