Maybe it's just as well that the Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura was as deserted as it was, because the sculpture of Wakiro Sumi is art that whispers rather than shouts. At one of Tokyo's busier museums or galleries, with your head still abuzz with the screech of traffic, the blitz of advertising, and the hustle and bustle of the crowd, Sumi's art could quite easily be drowned out.
As it is, before encountering it, you can enjoy a calming walk through the streets of the charming old town of Kamakura, where jinrikisha still ply their trade, and spend a refreshing moment in the cherry-tree gardens of Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine, where the museum is located. Relaxed, with mind emptied and mobile phone switched off, Sumi's sculptures have a chance to work their delicate magic.
"The point of my work is not to enjoy it through photographs," the 57-year-old artist tells The Japan Times. "You need to look at it in the place. You need to be in the same atmosphere, just looking at my work face to face."