In the dense jungles and river basins of South Kalimantan, a profound tradition takes place—one that invites the realm of the spirits to guide human decisions. The Manajah Antang ritual, practiced by the Dayak people, is a sacred ceremony in which a spiritual bird called the Antang is summoned to offer signs and direction from the unseen world. Whether to declare war, select a leader, or prepare for a journey, the Dayak turn to the Antang for divine confirmation.

In the heart of Nagano, where winter drapes the land in quiet white, lies a lake that carries a divine footprint—or at least, that’s what generations of believers have whispered. Every January or February, when the surface of Lake Suwa freezes just right, something extraordinary happens. Great cracks zigzag across the ice, rising like a frozen wave from shore to shore.