The sound of the mountain stream becomes part of the work. In Towada, Aomori, lies Lake Towada and the Oirase Gorge that flows from it, among the most beautiful waterscapes in Japan. Against this nature, an art festival is held. The Oirase stream runs fourteen kilometers, past mossy rocks, waterfalls, and beech forest; simply walking it washes the mind clean. Into this, contemporary art is set. Nature and artwork, until you can no longer tell which is the main player. The sound of the stream, sunlight through leaves, the wind, all become part of the work. Towada also has a contemporary art museum, with Yayoi Kusama's giant pumpkin and works by Yoshitomo Nara; for so small a town, the density of art is high. Why so much art in so remote a place? The answer lies in the power of nature. Beautiful places call people to them.