Akutagawa, Ryūnosuke. Hell Screen ("jigoku Hen") and Other Stories. Greenwood P, 1971.

Art is the language of the soul (Akutagawa 7). It is subjective too. Yoshihide was a great painter from his region. He loved art and was too much driven by practicality. He was an esteemed artist who was not liked by his countrypeople (Akutagawa 3). His community believed in the existence of supernatural beings who they believed roamed in their midst. They believed that their Lordship had much power and that he was a re-born spirit of Buddha (Akutagawa 2). At one point when rumor had it that the ghost of Toru had invaded the city, the Lordship lead to its disappearance by reproaching it. People offered gifts and sacrifices. This was an expression or an art of appreciation. They were to show goodwill. This was the way of the people. They were subjects to what they believed was right. They believed that what was so close to the soul was a sign was a treasure that one was committed to it and thus sacrificing it was a sign of wishing it a better cause. When building the Nagara Bridge, the Lordship offered his favorite boy as a sacrifice who was buried at the foot of the pillar (Akutagawa 2).