Sunlight through the trees in the past
My house was surrounded by a thick forest of arrow bamboo.
It used to be our favorite playground and secret base.
In my hometown, arrow bamboo was easily obtained and used for fishing and farming tools because of its strength and ease of use.
Of course, they were also excellent as playthings, and were used to make bow and arrows and bean guns (actually, they were not made from beans, but from the green berries of a grass called Janohige, which is a type of grass that bears blue berries). ) that even a child could make with no difficulty.
My grandfather also used this arrow bamboo cut into 30 cm lengths for stabbing the bundles of offerings to the local deity.
And in this place, it functioned as a windbreak for the orchard, which was probably its original purpose.
The arrow bamboo forest was very close and important.
We followed what appeared to be a pathway through the thick forest, and entered the forest.
The ground was so soft that it did not hurt to lie down on it. The sunlight streamed through the tall trees, creating a fantastic space that reminded us of a sanctuary isolated from the outside world, and a unique and special place that was somehow awe-inspiring.
I remember that we used to bring chairs and other things there to make it feel more like a secret base.
As I grew up, I forgot the existence of the base and stopped coming to my house.
I sat up with my head heavy from oversleeping, and the bright sunlight shining through the window suddenly brought back memories.
