Another Week in Matsudai

Here I am blogging from the Matsudai dormitory where I’m spending the week helping Hanako with a mix of video editing and minding the Hotta Rakashi Memorial Museum.
Once again I am stunned by the generousity and friendliness of the townsfolk who have taken Hanako under their wings. We have been well fed from garden produce, given handmade treats, and chatted up every time we walk out the door. There have been offers of beds, invitations to meals and events, and photographs taken at every turn.
The town has transformed since the first time I came up here. It’s busy all day. Nobutai is mobbed with people in the gift shop, participating in workshops and watching performances. There are scores of people visiting the village with “stamp rally” booklets in hand, collecting stamps at every place they stop to see the art. The shotengai (shopping street) is an art gallery itself with big and small exhibits up and down the street.
Speaking of which, I must return to mine and greet the visitors with a cheey “Irasshaimase!”
Will be back in Tokyo on Monday with stories to share.