Mt. Unzen Fugen-dake began to erupt in 1990 and continued for 6 years. Although thousands of people lost their homes, farms and livelihoods during the 6 year eruption, the deadliest day was June, 3rd 1991. On that day the lava dome collapsed and generated an enormous pyroclastic flow that raced down the mountain at 100 kilometers and hour and 800 degrees Celsius burning everything in its path. 43 people lost their lives that day, policemen, firemen, and media. Another life was lost the next year in a different eruption. The people of Shimabara City have been struggling for many years to rebuild their lives, reforest the mountain and come to terms with the irreversible changes that took place.
In November 2007, the 5th Cities on Volcanoes, International meeting was held in Shimabara. To mark this important gathering of the worlds volcano scientists, and to commemorate the lives lost 17 years ago, the City commissioned Senri Nojima to build a monument at the eruption sited that would recognize the intense history of the place and create a place to contemplate the future. 
The site faces the mountain similar to a traditional Japanese garden technique called "shakkei." This technique "borrows" the surrounding landscape to create a view that includes the sculpture and the landscape as a whole. The site may　be the only one of it's kind and presented a unique opportunity.
The 14ton 4.25m by 3.6m sculpture sits in the path of the volcano, as vulnerable and powerless as man is in the face of the awesome power of nature and serves as a symbol of the resilience and valiant human spirit. The shape of the sculpture holds the hearts of all the suffering people who lost loved ones and beloved ancestral land that day.