A warm welcome to all you Iblarders and to all new comers!! Would you like to listen to distant memories, feel the wind of an enchanting world, visit breath-taking landscapes, and meet the people of your wildest dreams? Then come visit Mr Inoue's enchanting world of Iblard! If you would like to visit some scenes from Iblard, please come visit our Iblard Galleries. Gallery 1 offers scenes from the movie Whisper of the Heart, Gallery 2 offers a guided journey through the world of Iblard, and Gallery 3 is a collection of nostalgic scenes from Iblard. If you would like to understand a bit more about Iblard, perhaps a brief introduction to the artist and his world will help! Introduction to the Artist and his world ..............Many of you proably first saw Mr. Inoue's works when watching Mimiwosumaseba, or, Whisper of the heart, directed by Kondo Yosifumi and produced by Japanese Animator Miyazaki Hayao . However, Mr. Inoue has in fact been painting and illustrating for many years, opening a number of exhibitions each year in Japan. His most famous works are a collection of paintings which depict a fantastic and magical world which he names Iblard (pronounced e-ballade). Mr. Inoue Naohisa is now a much acclaimed artist who continues to paint scenes from his fantastic world of Iblard. His countless paintings from this imaginary world of his has influenced a great number of artist and fans throughout Japan to the extent that many have come to regard Iblard as a kind of Utopia, a Utopia to which one can first learn to access through contemplating Mr. Inoue's multiple works. ..............Those who love and believe in Iblard become citizens and are referred to as Iblarders. If you like Mr. Inoue's world, you too can become an Iblarder! But first of all, there are many things which need to be explained in order to fully understand this wondrous world of Iblard (and explaining it in English is a bit of a task! So please bear with me!). ..............One thing to keep in mind is that everything in Iblard is always under constant change, floating islands often disappear, unknown forests grow spontaneously, new fantastic lands can suddenly appear. Mr. Inoue records these scenes and happenings of Iblard through his pictures and writings and continues to do so. ..............Have you ever faced a beautiful landscape in the country-side, or perhaps even in a city, a landscape which you thought was so beautiful that it was in some ways 'out of this world'? That could have been a scene from Iblard. It could have been a beautiful sun set, or an extraordinary tree, anything can open your personal door to Iblard. Or perhaps there is a place you have always dreamed of, a place that doesn't exist in this world, but which would have been great fun if it DID exist. Anything your heart desires can be seen in Iblard and everyone opens there own door to this eternal land. When you see something that pleases your eye, that is YOUR entrance to Iblard whether it be a precious stone, pretty clouds, or a beautiful field.. Thus Iblard can in some ways become a mirror reflection of our hearts desires, the landscape in Iblard can change according to our desires, the trains in Iblard (known as Siema) move according to where we want to go. ..............When looking at various images from Iblard, one often feels nostalgia, and many times one can't help feeling that he or she once knew such a place. Has your heart ever whispered to you? Has it ever said "I know this place, perhaps this is my real home!" Iblard is just full of nostalgic places, it is a land of memories, a home to return to after a long day's work! ..............Miyazaki Hayao, an internationally acclaimed Animation movie director, is also an Iblarder. He often speaks of a new way of observing our own world, a way in which we " look through Iblard eyes". He discovered that there was a so-called "Iblard way" of looking and perceiving things. When looking at things through the eye of an Iblarder, even the huge sky scrapers and millions of train lines in Japan become a beautiful scene from Iblard! These are a few examples of how to look through Iblard eyes. Examples- his painting photo Mr. Inoue often says that Iblard is in many ways based upon our own world, its just that perhaps buildings in Iblardare covered in ivy and surrounded by beautiful woods or gardens. Our world can always resemble Iblard, it just depends upon how you observe it. When you can observe things through an Iblard eye even the most simple scenes from daily life can become wonderful images from Iblard, and thus, observing your own world can also become really interesting! Thus this so-called 'Utopia' is in no ways separated from our world today, in fact in painting his pictures from Iblard, Mr. Inoue is sending us a message which is; 'to look closely, listen carefully and to observe our own world with care, because there really is no border between it and Iblard. ..............Although some characteristics of Iblard can be explained, many elements also remain unanswered, even for Iblarders and Mr. Inoue himself! Some of the most peculiar things happen in Iblard, many which just can't be accounted for. Just remember that Iblard is a mixture of the known and unknown, anything is possible in this curious world- so let your imagination run wild! One concept which all Iblarders find most important though, is that of beauty. Iblard is a land of beauty and dreams, a land where one comes to talk of enchanting stories and wondrous people ..............What is most important is that Iblarders respect one another's ideas, imagination, and concept of beauty, for certain Iblarders may have different dreams and stories than others. No one has the right to say what exactly exists in Iblard or not, or what is right and wrong in Iblard, although we mustn't forget that it is largely based on Mr. Inoue's works. Everyone has there own personal links to Iblard and feelings towards its wonders and we wish that all Iblarders and non Iblarders understand this. Otherwise ; Welcome! And please stay for as long as your heart desires! And remember, you too can contribute your imagination to the world of Iblard!!