I think we have our source material for this year's totem poll which will be dedicated at the 2015 Ajishima Summer Festival. It is gong to be an on-going tradition for the summer festival, and we may even be able to host various artists (artists in residence) in order to complete this year's totem poll.
I found this log at Namida Beach on Ajishima just the other day. Perhaps it has been there for a while, but since the weeds have died back over winter it has become more visible. It appears to be a "Sugi" type of pine tree, similar to last year's totem polls; and I feel this one as with the previous ones came from a paper mill in Ishinomaki and washed up on the island after the disaster four years ago.
I found this log at Namida Beach on Ajishima just the other day. Perhaps it has been there for a while, but since the weeds have died back over winter it has become more visible. It appears to be a "Sugi" type of pine tree, similar to last year's totem polls; and I feel this one as with the previous ones came from a paper mill in Ishinomaki and washed up on the island after the disaster four years ago.
I roughly measured it to have 8-9 meters of usable length even after we cut off the bottom meter or so, which is in rough shape. Last year it took four people to carry our 4 meter totem polls. I think we will need 10 or more people for this behemoth!
If you can come to Ajishima and help us carry it off the beach, we would be immensely grateful.
If you can come to Ajishima and help us carry it off the beach, we would be immensely grateful.
If anyone would like to help design, prepare and carve this year's totem poll, please let us know. If we start now, hopefully we can get it done by the beginning of the Ajishima Summer Festival on August 22-23, 2015. Thank you, and see you soon.