Inscribed “For Patsy & Ian Marks on their return from a Rotary trip to Japan, March 2012.”
The dance notes explain that “Centuries ago, floors in the hallways & corridors of Japanese temples & palaces were designed to make a ‘chirping’ sound when walked on. This was a security device – an early, ‘early warning system’. Dry boards creak naturally under pressure, but these floors were created so that the flooring nails would rub against a jacket or clamp (usually leather), causing birdlike noises - hence ‘nightingale’ floors (‘uguisubari’). This ensured that no one could sneak through the corridors undetected. The most famous example is in Nijo Castle, Kyoto, Japan.”