Echigo-Tsumari Art Field

[September 19–November 30] The Echigo-Tsumari New Rice Fair Is Here!

At the Tokamachi Information Center

Saturday, October 17: Screening and Talk Event for Director Nobuo Onishi’s Feature-Length Documentary Film “The Flame Connects”

Saturday, February 27, 2027 — Event Date

Tickets for the “Echigo-Tsumari Snow Fireworks” Are Now on Sale!

Official Tour: Running Mainly on Weekends and Holidays!

Waterside ENNICHI in MonET

[Starting September 12] MonET Ongoing Special Exhibition Series Vol. 12: Ryohei Usui

September 19, 2026 (Sat) –

Museum of Picture Book Art: Fall Special Exhibition

"An Exhibition of Books That Even Nobuo Onishi and Tashima Seizo Are Surprised By"

[Hong Kong House 2026 Special Exhibition] Toby Crispy & Mire Yu, “艹田人 STiTCH OUR iNNER LAND”

Through Sunday, November 8, 2026

Echigo-Tsumari Art Field Year-Round Program “Echigo-Tsumari Art Field 2026” Is Now Underway!

2026/10/17 goods

Keep the scenery of Echigo-Tsumari close at hand. A limited-edition photo book is now on sale!

2026/10/16 Released artworks

Facility Operating Hours Starting November 8 and Year-End/New Year Closures

2026/10/15 ETAT2027

Echigo-Tsumari Art Field: Seminar Commemorating the 10th Edition—“A Quarter-Century of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field: A Conversation with the Artists”

2026/10/8 ETAT2027

Information on the Main Visual for the 10th Exhibition and the ETAT Passport

2026/9/20 Events

"Echigo-Tsumari Snow Fireworks," a commemorative event for the 10th Echigo-Tsumari Art Field Triennale, will be held

About Echigo-Tsumari

Learn about Echigo-Tsumari Art Field

Events

^11/14SAT ‐ ^11/14SAT

Echigo-Tsumari Art Field: Seminar Commemorating the 10th Edition—“A Quarter-Century of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field: A Conversation with the Artists”

To commemorate the 10th edition of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, we will be hosting a seminar in the form of a dialogue between an artist and Kitagawa Fram. For this event, we are pleased to welcome Chris Matthews, an artist who participated in the first “Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale” in 2000 and created “Nakasato Scarecrow Garden.”

^11/8SUN ‐ ^11/8SUN

Ubusuna House Harvest Festival 2026

On the last day the museum is open for the 2026 fiscal year, we will hold the “Ubusuna House Harvest Festival 2025.” Enjoy all-you-can-eat portions of delicious, freshly cooked new-crop rice harvested from the Rice Fields of the Higashi-Shimogumi village!

^10/25SUN ‐ ^10/25SUN

Echigo-Tsumari Kapukapu Orchestra 2026

In 2026, the "Echigo-Tsumari Kapukapu Orchestra"—featuring local residents and professional musicians playing instruments made from farming tools—will once again perform at the "Echigo-Tsumari Kamigo Clove Theatre"!

^9/19SAT ‐ ^11/30MON

Eat and Buy New Rice—Enjoy the Bounties of the Autumn Countryside

[Sept. 19–Nov. 30] Echigo-Tsumari New Rice Fair

To celebrate the arrival of this year’s new rice season, we’re hosting “New Rice Fairs” at various venues throughout Echigo-Tsumari. Whether it’s a lunch featuring freshly cooked new rice, rice balls, shopping for new rice and side dishes to go with it, or workshops where you can enjoy the autumn countryside, we invite you to savor this year’s rice at each location. We’ll also be distributing leaflets at each venue that feature interviews with farmers from Echigo-Tsumari, highlighting both the joys and challenges of farming.

^9/19SAT ‐ ^11/23MON

The Book They Never Saw Coming Nobuo Onishi & Seizo Tashima Exhibition

This fall, Kosei Publishing is scheduled to release a visual book introducing “Tashima Seizo Today.” To coincide with the book’s release, this museum will exhibit recent artworks by Tashima—who has remained at the forefront of the art world for over 60 years—as well as photographs taken by Onishi that capture him at work and in his everyday life.In conjunction with this, we will also hold a photo exhibition featuring Onishi’s picture books *The Season Dyed in Thread* (Iwasaki Shoten) and *Japanese Candles: Connecting People* (Alice-kan), which chronicle the lives of plant-dyeing textile artists in Tokamachi city.

^9/13SUN ‐ ^10/25SUN

[Running on September 13 and October 25] JIKU #013 HOKUHOKU-LINE

"JIKU" is a series of projects that uses light to express the regional axes—as well as the axes of Point of View and history—that have been obscured by urban development and changes in the landscape.This artwork is set at Misashima Station on the Hokuetsu Express Hokuhoku Line. Using the tracks of the Hokuhoku Line—which has fostered new connections within the region since its opening in 1997—the artwork expresses the value and energy of connecting one place to another. Lighting installations positioned at the front and rear of a special train illuminate the straight tunnel in sync with sound. This is an experiential artwork that can only be viewed by passengers aboard the special train.

^9/12SAT ‐ ^11/23MON

Echigo-Tsumari MonET Exhibition　　Series Vol. 12: Ryohei Usui, “Things that remind us we exist.”

A series of Special Exhibitions that has been held at the Museum on Echigo-Tsumari, MonET since 2023. For each Special Exhibition, a guest curator selects artists and organizes the exhibition.

Artworks / Artists

2026/4/25-11/8（Closed on Tue and Wed except for public holidays）

Gejo Thatch Tower

MIKAN＋Sogabe Lab. Kanagawa University

Open all year / Closed on Tue ＆ Wed except holidays *Open on 2026/8/11,12

The Flag of Tsumari and Hostomel

2026/4/25-11/8（Closed on Tue and Wed except for public holidays）

Open all year / Closed on Tue ＆ Wed except holidays

Boys with Red Loincloth Returned

May 16–November 8, 2026 (Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except holidays)

BUNAGAIKE Botanical Garden “Mother‘s Tree Midair Garden”

2026/4/25-10/31（Closed on Tue and Wed except for public holidays）

Sentry of Forest

Yoshimizu Hiroshi

Open all year / Closed on Tue ＆ Wed except holidays *Open on 2026/8/11,12

White Clothes. Memories of the Future.

Open all year / Closed on Tue ＆ Wed except holidays *Closed for the New Year holidays: 2026/12/26 –2027/1/6

The Artist’s Library

the former Soviet Union

Ilya&Emilia Kabakov

2026/4/25-11/8（Closed on Tue and Wed except for public holidays）

Memory of the Earth

Uchida Haruyuki

Explore Echigo-Tsumari

Hiroshi Hara Architecture: A Museum of One-of-a-Kind Site-Specific Art

A hub facility for the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field. The architectural design is by Hara Hiroshi＋ATELIERΦ, the firm behind the Kyoto Station Building and other projects. The museum features 15 permanent artworks by artists from Japan and abroad, on display year-round, and hosts Special Exhibitions each season. It also houses a museum shop. In 2021, the permanent collection underwent a major overhaul, and the museum reopened following its renovation.

About 40 artworks are on display at the Nohbutai and its surroundings, ranging from whimsical pieces to signature artworks.

The Matsudai NOHBUTAI, a hub facility designed by the Dutch architectural firm MVRDV. Approximately 40 artworks are scattered throughout the roughly 2-kilometer stretch of satoyama landscape between the Matsudai NOHBUTAI and Matsudai Castle at the mountaintop; this entire area is known as the “Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum.”

A science museum that captivates children. In winter, it withstands 2,000 tons of snow.

A museum dedicated to discovering and showcasing local resources under the theme of “Urban-Rural Exchange.” Approximately 40 artworks are scattered throughout the indoor and outdoor spaces. These works, which draw inspiration from the region’s history, local customs, people, and nature, allow visitors to fully experience the local culture through all five senses. We invite you to enjoy the art and the rural landscape as they change with the seasons.

The only James Turrell artwork in the world where visitors can stay overnight

A artwork by light artist James Turrell. Conceived as a guesthouse for meditation, it was modeled after the Hoshina Residence, a traditional local dwelling designated as an Important Cultural Property. Turrell drew inspiration for this concept from Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s *In Praise of Shadows*, blending the intimate light of traditional Japanese architecture with his own light-based artworks. *Satoyama Shokudo’s takeout service for breakfast and dinner*

Set in the former Nunagawa Elementary School, the "Children’s Five Senses Experience Museum" offers an experience that engages not only sight but all five senses, including hearing and touch. We also regularly hold workshops that encourage children to focus on artworks and the materials used in everyday life.

Kamigo Junior High School, which closed in 2012, has reopened as a performing arts hub. It serves as a residence facility, a rehearsal space, and a theater for performances. A theater-themed restaurant run by local women has also opened.

Enjoy seasonal local home-style cuisine served on beautiful pottery at “Ubusuna House”

A traditional Japanese house with a thatched roof, built about 100 years ago. Here, you can enjoy seasonal home-cooked meals prepared by local mothers, served on tableware crafted by one of Japan’s leading ceramic artists.

A collaboration between nature’s beauty, which changes with the seasons, and art

One of Echigo-Tsumari’s most iconic landmarks, the Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel, has been renovated to incorporate artworks. The 750-meter-long tunnel is conceptualized as a submarine cut off from the outside world, with artworks displayed throughout the interior—including four observation decks that serve as periscopes offering views of the outside.

The restaurant itself is a work of art. The Satoyama Buffet is popular even among locals.

A restaurant and artwork located inside Matsudai NOHBUTAI. Enjoy the “Satoyama Buffet,” featuring a selection of dishes inspired by Matsudai’s local flavors and home-style cooking, all while taking in the artistic atmosphere.

Visit

[For Elementary and Middle School Students Only] Echigo-Tsumari Forest School 2027: Little New Year (2 Nights, 3 Days)

Experience the “Bird Chasing” and “Dondo-yaki” festivals—celebrations of a bountiful harvest held during Little New Year in the Sansho district of Matsunoyama—on this 2-night, 3-day tour. Stay at “Sansho House,” an accommodation for the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field housed in a renovated former school, and fully immerse yourself in life in a snowy region while interacting with local residents!
《Tour Highlights》
・Plenty of hands-on activities, including preparing local cuisine and making “chin-koro,” traditional good-luck charms.
・Accommodations: Sansho House (2 nights)
・Meals: 2 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners

[2-Day, 1-Night] Fall Road Trip Plan to Savor Freshly Harvested Rice

Fall in Echigo-Tsumari is the season for new rice. Here’s a luxurious suggested itinerary that lets you savor this year’s new rice at three different venues. Your lodging will be at Sansho House, a warm and inviting wooden schoolhouse that was once an elementary school. Please check the dates for individual reservations this year before you visit.

Walking with the Artists: The Echigo-Tsumari Art Field and the Stories of the Villages

[Tour with Chris Matthews, Designer of the Nakasato Scarecrow Garden]
A day trip to view Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale artworks alongside the artists who created them and local residents. You may even hear anecdotes from that time and stories about the artworks from the residents who have supported the Triennale and its works. Come experience firsthand the story of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field and the local community, spanning a quarter-century.
*This tour is part of the “A Quarter-Century of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field: Conversations with the Artists” program.
*Guides will be available in Japanese and English.

Echigo-Tsumari Course [Ubusuna Lunch Special] 2026

A highlights tour of masterpieces in Echigo-Tsumari. Enjoy the autumn countryside and artworks with Official Guides.
《Tour Highlights》
・Recommended for first-time visitors to the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field
・You can view many artworks even without a car
・You can savor dishes made with seasonal ingredients by local women from the villages
*On Sunday, September 27; Saturday, October 24; and Sunday, November 8, the tour will be conducted by Japanese and English-speaking guides.

Echigo-Tsumari Course [JIKU Service]

A highlights tour of masterpieces in the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field. Join Official Guides to enjoy the autumn satoyama landscape and artworks.
《Tour Highlights》
・Recommended for first-time visitors to the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field
・Experience artworks that can only be viewed by passengers on the special train
・Lunch features a healthy buffet made with seasonal ingredients

Exploring the Spectacular Scenery of Echigo-Tsumari with a Geo-Guide

This tour focuses specifically on the “spectacular views” found in the Echigo-Tsumari region, known for its lush satoyama landscapes. You’ll enjoy a tour of the art installations while traveling by bus along a clear mountain stream.
《Tour Highlights》
・Enjoy a lunch of rice grown in the Rice Fields at “Katakuri House” in the secluded Akiyamago area
・You can easily explore the art and nature even without a car.
・Guides from the art festival and the Naeba Mountain Foot Geopark will accompany you on the bus to provide detailed explanations of the majestic terrain. *A Geopark refers to an area of geoscientific significance managed according to principles of landscape conservation, education, and sustainable development; there are currently 46 certified Geoparks in Japan.

Support

Matsudai Tanada Bank

Open invitation to those who wish to help maintain terraced rice field in the ageing community. Let’s make Echigo-Tsumari rice in this Koshihikari-rice-growing district.

FC Echigo-Tsumari

Activities by a female football team consisting of members who have moved to the region and taken over rice production in the terraced rice field.

Engaging supporters with management and maintenance of artworks, and rice planting and harvesting. Approximately 3000 people from around the world participate in those activeties.

Stay In Touch

Stay connected with the ETAT official social media to receive the latest news and event information, and the many seasonal faces of Echigo-Tsumari as well as new issue of the ETAT official media, “Art from the Land”.

The ETAT official mail magazine provides information on the most recent information on ETAT, upcoming events and reports on supporters’ activities.