The Kita–Alps is known as Japan’s backbone. In this district, there is a deep ravine where snow still remains on the folds in the mountain until summer. People there have a custom that they take snow apart with a handsaw for their storehouses. For centuries, they have been keeping a custom about “necessary negotiation” from their mountain. This custom later gave birth of a festival where they use the snow storehouse as a stage.
I stayed in one of the snow storehouses which was built for a festival stage for about two months. Day after day, I slept in that place. There appeared something like a room or cave inside it. Holes on the snow widened fast as the air temperature got warmer and I moved around minding the way it is melted at its speed. I never felt like creating a work in cooperation with nature. I rather had a feeling that even my movement was “edited” in the snow by “someone” who possesses a great power. I thought I found a “true creator” hiding in the snow. This work could be in other words a “dialogue with the Great Creator”. At last, two caves were eventually connected with each other and we had the festival day. There were also times when I entertained guests who visited the snow storehouse.