木の中 石の鬼 is rooted in research on the trees and mythology of Onishi (Gunma, Japan). The word "oni" (鬼) translates to “demon” in Japanese, though its meaning has shifted over time—it was once used to describe those who were alien or unfamiliar to the dominant culture.
Anecdotes from the Onishi and Fujioka regions recount the fate of the Emishi people, who, after being defeated in battle, were captured and brought to Yuzurigahara. Some narratives also suggest that the name "Onishi" originates from the Ainu language, in which "oni" means “tree.” Just as these stories have faded over time, many trees were felled during Japan’s development, erasing both history and landscape.
Onishi’s central myth tells of a final stone resting beneath the Onishi Shrine, said to be the last one hurled by the demons that once haunted the village before being driven away by a monk. But who were these demons? Were they the “alien” people brought to the region during imperial times, or the lingering ghosts of fallen trees?
Interweaving historical narrative with speculation, the work reveals the entangled layers of history, cultural displacement, and ecological loss. It reflects on how our relationships with plants, culture, and memory evolve in parallel.
