In Stepping Stones, Kogachi paints the largest and most compositionally ambitious body of water in the exhibition, challenging herself to balance a busy, densely populated ecosystem with an overarching sense of peace. The resultant image, with its deep violet water, invites viewers to immerse themselves directly within the scene, fulfilling Kogachi’s desire for the viewer to feel as if they could jump right into the painting and onto the stepping stones. On the foremost stone at the bottom of the canvas, a subtle, iridescent wet footprint provides an intimate, playful touch; physically traced from the artist's own foot, it suggests that someone has just dashed through the sanctuary.

Throughout this immersive tableau, Kogachi interweaves traditional Japanese symbols of spiritual transition, serendipity, and longevity. Three white cranes, native to Japan and heralded as a national treasure, are perched throughout the composition, reprising a recurring motif from Kogachi's practice to signify good fortune, longevity, and peace. Because these birds mate for life, they embody eternal love, mirroring the swans and pigeons found elsewhere in the exhibition. Beneath them, tucked amid a dense field of reeds and lily pads, koi fish nibble at the petals of blooming lotuses.

Rooted in Japanese Buddhism, the lotus represents spiritual awakening, rebirth, and reincarnation. Its perpetual cycle of short-lived blooms emerging from durable roots mirrors the soul's ongoing journey toward enlightenment and the promise of rebirth into the Pure Land.