Today is Umi no Hi, Ocean Day, and even though I’m nowhere near the ocean, water is playing a large role in my holiday weekend.

It’s raining here in Matsudai where I’m helping Hanako to put together the Hotta Rakashi Memorial Museum for the Echigo-Tsumari Triennial which opens on Friday. We’ve been thoroughly soaked walking in an unexpected warm summer downpour. The room we are transforming into a gallery has transformed into a lake in one leaky corner. Everything this weekend seems to be damp, but battling the water is creating a sense of comaradarie.

One way water has not played a role in the weekend: no opportunity to bathe or shower since we arrived. Maybe I should stop writing and go upstairs to see if the dormatory’s spiderweb coated shower room actually works. Or perhaps I’ll simply step outside and wait for the next deluge…