SW D5 More art

Route: Valley of Tokamachi
Bicycle: 48 km
Total ascent: 554 m
Average speed: 16 km/h
Riding time: 2:58 h
Weather: very humid, some rain, and warm, 30 C

Today’s weather forecast had some rain, some non-rain time. I managed to pass the rain time under the roof of a 7/11, but still got kind of wet: road spray and an incredible humidity. Like in a botanical garden subtropical green house. 

I had decided to stay in the valley and look for some new artwork in the area. Luckily the app of the Tsumari Echigo festival has a google map where one can filter for new artwork. I should also remeber fit the next time that the indoor events are all closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 

Most of the art work I saw left me pretty indifferent …

Except these cubes in the forest on a very soft ground in a very wet forest. 

But I also went to see some long time favorites:

I think here the official art work is the blue metal construction (an English terraced house) but I like the enormous torii in the rice paddies. 

This was the furthest I got today from my accommodation . Rain was already visible in the distance but I made it to a 7/11 comfortably in time and has lunch under their roof (outside) while waiting out the rain, before returning and going towards Tokamachi. A new piece of art that has been recommended was this:

A man powered snow plow, which wouldn’t work, which is clear from looking at an actual snow plow right next to it. 

Checking the weather it weekend it wouldn’t rain soon, so I continued to the farest spot in Tokamachi , where these two pieces of art awaited me:

I had seen pictures of it, where the ball was still green, but I think even with the withered leaves it still looks nice. 

These two pieces were next to a shrine at the feet of a hill behind the local sports ground. 

This shrine had a sumo ring, but this wasn’t where I watched sumo today. Instead back in my accommodation I watched the autumn (!) sumo meeting and how Oo-no-sato did win his 10th match in a row, on his way of winning this tournament with two wins advantage over the next 3  competitors.