VisualArtist:Takehiko Murata

"The Three Sacred Treasures"

The Three Sacred Treasures

Prologue

The Jomon Period

An ambiguous era when neither the shape of the Japanese archipelago nor the flow of time had yet been established

In this world, two distinct dimensions coexisted

One was the physical, real world in which we live

The other was a spiritual world governed by sound and sorcery

Each was ruled by its own kingdom

As time passed, they became separated and drifted into different dimensions, but this is a tale of the era when they once coexisted in the same dimension

The Kingdom of Elam, a nation of sound magic

It was ruled by a female monarch who wielded powerful sorcery

In her later years, the queen divided the kingdom and had her three sons succeed her to the throne, but

However, due to constant strife, they incurred the wrath of the gods, and the kingdom fell into ruin

To appease the gods’ wrath, the queen persuaded her sons

and ordered each to take possession of a magical artifact of equal power to bring the kingdom under control.

This is the origin of the three sacred treasures:

・The Mirror ・The Sword ・The Jewel (The Ball)

The Mirror

A magical artifact sent to ERAHIM, the eldest son of the Kingdom of Elam

It is said toilluminate the human heart through the image reflected in the mirror, using sounds at frequencies that reach directly into the human brain,thereby revealing the truth

It conveys the king’s will and serves to represent his authority and sanctity

Its surface is engraved with patterns formed by the crystallization of material vibrations,

andit is saidthat by resonating with the vibrations of a guitar, a multidimensional door opens, allowing for dialogue with the divine

The Sword

A cursed artifact sent to SEMU, the second son of the Kingdom of Elam

Possessing powerful "sound energy" (Ototokara), The Sword symbolizes wisdom, courage, strength, and justice,

and is said to grant the strength to overcome adversity

It gives people the courage to live and teaches them to live with a positive outlook

Patterns of the Fire element are engraved on its body, and as a symbol of power, it has become an object of faiththat helps people live

The Jewel (Ball)

A cursed artifact sent to IMUIE (Imu), the third son of the Kingdom of Elam

The sound of The Jewel is said to smooth interpersonal relationships and promote peace and harmony

It is said to bring beauty and good fortune, and is also considered a symbol of joy

Its body is said to have been formed from rare minerals and bears the patterns of the earth

All three were created to bring peace to the people and are objects of their faith

These three sacred guitars serve to convey the will of the gods, as well as to represent the authority and sanctity of the royal family

They are symbols of the throne, proof of the king’s legitimacy, and also symbols of the king’s presence

"Walls"

"Walls" always appear in the landscape of human life

They stand quietly in the way; sometimes invisible and silent, they divide the inside from the outside anddelineate the boundary between the possible and the impossible

These “walls” are symbols of rejection, yet they are also points of passage and screens of memory

On the walls of overlooked back alleys, the city’s breath and the passage of time are layered upon one another

Peeling, repainted, scuffed, and exposed to wind and rain, countless traces have accumulated

By layeringmaterials with different temporal histories—not paint,but architectural coatings, industrial materials, and digital prints—invisible layers emerge on the canvas. There, past and present, chance and intention, light and shadow intertwine,revealing the texture of a city that repeatedly undergoes weathering and renewal

“The Wall” is not an end, but a beginning

To cross it, to touch it, to keep gazing at it

Might there not be a landscape born from this repetition?