The annual fallen leaf art display was completed at the end of November on the grounds of Oi Shrine (Oi-cho, Kameoka City, Kyoto Prefecture). Chief priest Takatsugu Inamoto (51 years old), who has been honing his skills, carefully considered the size and angle to create a dynamic prancing horse that would look great in photos. The piece will remain in place until December 21st.
"I want visitors to enjoy it," he said. For the past 10 years, he has been creating the artwork using fallen leaves from the sacred ginkgo tree and other trees. The design typically features the following year's zodiac sign, and has been well-received by visitors, who have even photographed it for New Year's cards.
This year's horse is 6.5 meters long. Inspired by the logo of a certain Italian car, brown crape myrtle leaves are used to represent the hooves and mane. With Instagram in mind, the arrangement was carefully crafted to include the main hall and a Komainu dog. For the first time, recommended photo spots were set up, and beer crates were placed on the grounds to serve as scaffolding.
By the way, the fallen leaves are not fixed in place. "When ginkgo trees absorb water, they become heavy and the leaves stick together. There is fog now, so they won't fly unless there is a strong gust of wind," said Inamoto. He said that he has overcome the pressure of expectations for a new work this year as well, and expressed his hope that "next year will be a year in which we make great strides with powerful horsepower."
