THE APPROACH TO THE STORY

I've been doing lots of thinkin' and sketchin' and head-scratchin', developing our approach to this story. Here's what i've come up with.

I've replaced the path through the rice paddies with an overgrown abandoned road, that leads to an ominous-looking forest/grove of trees.

I've replaced the grove of cedar trees, where the murder took place 'one hundred years ago' with a wide field, in which are seen the remains of a complex of buildings, weathered done to little more that outlines on the grass. The implication is that the 'murder' was tied to some sort of larger historical or political event.

I've done concept sketches illustrating these ideas - i'll post some of them as soon as I can get access to a scanner.