Looking at the Ocean

Three cormorants nest with their young in a large withered tree, all reacting at once to a sound and gazing out towards the inner bay. The forest on the grounds of Daigan-ji Temple in Chiba City was designated a natural monument, called Cormorant Forest, by Chiba Prefecture in 1935. At the time, it was home to about 400 or 500 cormorants and around 2,000 herons, including night-herons and egrets. However, as a result of residential development, industrialization, and destruction of their habitat including by their own droppings, these cormorants were extinct by 1972. Tokita Naoyoshi often depicted the landscapes, customs, animals, and traditions of the Boso region. The owner of this work opted to convert it from a framed painting to a folding screen, placing the painting on the exterior side to heighten its impact. This creates a sense of depth and immediacy, and gives viewers a sense of being close to the cormorants. During World War II, Tokita gained popularity with works featuring birds, such as Flock of Birds, Cormorants Swimming in Formation, and Time of Victory. (A.J.)