Apple Tree

One day, I received a call from my mother in Nagano.

Eriko Hagio, owner of Tateshina Herbal Note Simples, contacted us to ask about cleaning a painting.

The painting depicted a large apple tree.

There is a story behind this painting of the Apple Tree.

This was long before Eriko started Herbal Note in Tateshina.

The bar that Eriko and her friends started in Aoyama, Tokyo, featured records, chanson songs,

Sometimes the bar was flanked by video production companies.

Apparently it was a shop that showed foreign commercial films using a 16mm projector.

At the time, Eriko, who was a bartender, asked the artist Kenichi Ochita to draw it for her.

Hanging on the back bar was a painting of an "Apple Tree."

It felt as if the encounters and memories of many people were seeped into the cigarette tar that covered the painting.

Herbal Note was just a short walk from the ranch where I spent my childhood.

I often went there to play and was doted on by Eriko and the other ladies who worked there.

When you drink Herbal Note herbal tea in Tokyo,

It reminds me of that natural smell and the aroma of herbs in the shop.

The painting "Apple Tree" had been stored away for a long time, but the cleaning service was able to remove any noticeable dirt. It is now available for viewing in the store.

If you ever go to Tateshina, be sure to stop by.

"Your Shade: A Small Forest Herb Shop" by Eriko Hagio

The story of the apple tree is also told.