Ever since I was a little I have visited Koyasan once a year without fail to offer prayers, making it a place which is near and dear to my heart. After becoming a singer, I have performed a dedication concert at Koyasan Kongobu-ji Head Temple (in the Okuden), as well as at Kumano Hongu Taisha Grand Shrine (at the Oyunohara) on the occasion of the 2,050th year anniversary of the shrine’s establishment. Whenever I see the giant cedars of Koyasan’s Okuno-in, their looming presence fills me with quiet awe and mystery. One memory which stands out in particular from all my time in Kumano is from the dedication concert I played at the Hongu Taisha Grand Shrine; while I was singing, I remember looking up to see a large flock of black kites begin wheeling about the cloudless blue sky. As the chief priest tells it, this represented a connection with the heavens, whereby our hopes and prayers will be answered. I will continue to strive, in my own way and in my own words, to communicate the essence of Koyasan and Kumano to everyone.