On my first trip to Japan, I visited Nikko; a town situated in the mountains north of Tokyo. Famous for the most lavishly-decorated shrine and mausoleum, Toshogu, dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. After feeling rather daunted by the crowds, I decided to take a stroll through a quiet forest path. Some time later I arrive at a smaller, older-looking precinct. Entering through the gate I came across a carved stone surrounded by a fence. This feature struck me and later became the subject of this illustration. Research revealed the precinct as Takino Shrine, built long before Toshogu Shrine, and has gathered popularity as a spiritual place. It is believed that praying before this Kodane stone will grant an easy and safe childbirth. - This illustration uses ink in the pointilism style. I tried to vary the proximity of the points to differentiate depth. Due to the amount of detail it took several months to complete. Hope you enjoy! MCD-Arts.