26 April - 19 May 2000
Sainokawara
The Riverbank of Sai. The captions for these three photos are from Kangaroo Notebook; by Kobo Abe, translated by Maryellen Toman Mori. In the novel Abe says that there are 164 Riverbank of Sai sites in Japan, I don't know if this is true but this one that I found seems to fit the description.
The lonely limbo for children's souls,
Nestled beneath mountains in the nethereworld.
Just to hear it wrings the heart.
Youngsters of two and three, four and five,
little ones, all under ten,
Gather on the Riverbank of Sai.
"How I miss you, Father! How I miss you, Mother!"
The voices wailing these laments
Are voices from another world
Whose sadness pierces flesh and bone.
The task these children must perform
Is collecting stones on the riverbank
And building memorial towers.
"I set down the first stone for my father,
I set down the second stone for my mother,
I set down the third stone in memory of
My brotheres and sisters in my hometown."
During the day they can play alone,
But around the time when twilight nears,
Suddenly a demon from hell appears.
"What are you kids doing?" he growls.
"The father and mother you left in the world
Don't perform rites for your repose.
From morning to night they only moan
Of cruelty, grief, and misery.
Your parents' laments are your punishment.
Don't blame me!"; the demon swings his iron club
And topples the children's little towers.
Just then the stones on the shore turn red;
The flowing river bursts into flames
That burn all creatures to the bone.
