About the artwork

The Snake Path is a 140 meter long winding pathway through the Nanatsugama Park. At the bottom of the path are seven steel bowls which symbolize the seven basins of the seven waterfalls in the nearby river. At the top of the path is a stone table surrounded by stone seats, this is a beautiful picnic spot and it symbolizes the fishman’s cottage in the original folk tale about Nanatsugama. The Snake Path project was advertised for participants locally in Japan and on the internet. About four hundred people of 70 groups joined the project, groups included primary schools, individuals and families and groups of fellow workers. A group of sixteen students and two staff members from Newcastle University, Australia came with Anne Graham to work on the project. The groups designed mosaics for sections of the path. On the day of the Snake Festival the mosaics were put in place by the participating groups and 400 people attended and enjoyed traditional Shinto festivities while completing their work.