Japanese Art Tour: The Fascinating Art Field of Echigo-Tsumari
Posted on August 14, 2017 within News
Echigo-Tsumari: A Japanese Great
Experience the incredible Echigo-Tsumari region of Niigata, home to over one hundred fascinating and entertaining modern art installations shown throughout the area’s beautiful 760 square kilometer landscape. Created by both global and Japanese artists, you will love these artworks which you’ll find inside local town centers, in old abandoned schools and throughout Echigo’s ubiquitous rice fields.
The concept of “humans are a part of nature,” has become the overarching concept in the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field. In viewing the artworks, you’ll have a wonderful experience passing through terraced rice fields and forests, encountering really great festivals and traditional customs, while enjoying the landscapes and cultures of Echigo-Tsumari through all five of your senses.
The amazing Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale is one of the largest art festivals in the world, held once every three years, the most recent being 2015. In addition to the Triennale, you’ll really enjoy Echigo’s Summer Festival ‘Daichi-no-matsuri’ and the winter ‘Snow Art Project.’
One of our favorite installations in Echigo-Tsumari is the House of Light, a fascinating work of art and accommodation created by ‘light artist’ James Turrell. This highly experimental work, where you can actually spend the night, is unparalleled anywhere in the world. Conceived as a traditional Japanese-style guest house, House of Light is a really unique attempt to contrast day and night, the Eastern and the Western, the traditional and modern.
Turrell’s interest was for you to stay and enjoy an evening here while exchanging your thoughts on the House and his light art throughout. Relax inside Turrell’s illuminated onsen bath and taste Niigata’s seasonal dishes from their local Japanese restaurants. A truly distinctive evening unlike anywhere else on your journey through Japan. We highly suggest a visit to the House of Light even if you don’t stay over.
