During Japan's 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami (also known as 3.11), a gigantic tsunami hit the pine tree forest in Rikuzentakata, Iwate. Almost the entire grove of seventy thousand trees was swept away, except for one lone pine. This single tree was later named the Miracle Pine Tree (Kiseki-no-ippon-matsu, 奇跡の一本松). In this piece, the violin's open strings represent a steadfast tree trunk, all the harmonies and the modulations revolving around it. TR, 2022