A symbol of summer, the sunflower also embodies adolescence for the artist, this delicate phase filled with melancholy when one is halfway between adulthood and childhood. During this season, students return to their family homes, while the country celebrates its dead and many Obon festivals are held. This festive period is followed by a return to peace and quiet, as young people are left alone with their families. The silence that bathes Japan is marked by a deep sense of nostalgia shared by many Japanese.