State of Flux

Since moving to Watari, one of the things I have become most attuned to is the kaleidoscopic changes in the sky throughout the day. A clear morning may give way to clouds drifting in from the mountains by noon, only for the light to return in the evening as a breathtaking sunset. The clouds themselves take many forms—mackerel skies, towering cumulonimbus, or thin, membrane-like veils—showing a diverse array of expressions every day.

Gazing at this vast, open sky inspired me to find another way to feel the weather. To visualize these atmospheric shifts, I created my own "Storm Glass." Originally used by 19th-century European mariners for weather forecasting, a storm glass is an instrument where the liquid inside a sealed glass tube changes state in response to environmental shifts, supposedly indicating upcoming weather patterns. While sailors once relied on the appearance and settling of these crystals to read the sea, the exact scientific principles remain partially shrouded in mystery, though it is known that the crystals primarily form or dissolve in reaction to temperature changes.

During the making process, I discovered that the types and shapes of substances added to the solution could alter the crystal structures. I finished my original device by incorporating iron sand collected from the mouth of the Abukuma River, and it now sits in my room. Observing the crystals each morning has become a small daily joy. For someone like me who suffers from migraines, it also serves as a clue to predict my physical condition and mood for the day. The ever-changing sky and the shifting crystals act as a medium—an apparatus for seeing the fluctuations of the invisible—connecting my daily life with my inner senses.