One Afternoon by the Sea pays homage to the song 海を見ていた午後 (One Afternoon by the Sea), encapsulating the quiet intimacy of a treasured memory revisited through solitude. Set in the nostalgic locale of Yokohama’s Yamate district, where the historic Dolphin restaurant stands, the artwork reflects a bittersweet moment of longing as a young woman returns to a place once shared with a loved one. Through the sparkling surface of a soda glass, she glimpses a distant cargo ship, its form distorted by rippling reflections that mirror the fragility of her emotions.

Layers of translucent blues, punctuated by warm, glowing highlights, convey the tension between permanence and impermanence—the enduring sea versus fleeting moments of connection. A dolphin playfully hidden within the composition evokes the innocence of past joys and the faint hope that lingers despite the passage of time. The soda glass serves as a vessel of memory, blurring the boundaries between reality and reverie, while the bubbles and shifting textures recall the transient nature of life and love.

An understated yet profound detail—a napkin bearing the inscription “わすれないで” (“Don’t forget”)—anchors the piece’s emotional resonance. This fragile reminder speaks to the enduring desire to preserve moments that fade as quickly as the bubbles in a soda. Part of the Yuming Series, this work fuses tangible objects with the evocative spirit of a specific setting, inviting viewers to explore their own reflections on love, memory, and the fleeting beauty of life.