About the artwork

“Kyoro-ro” is a natural science museum located in the mountains of Matsunoyama, a region known for heavy snowfall. In winter, it withstands a load of 2,000 tons beneath deep snow, much like a submarine. Its serpentine shape was inspired by the surrounding walking trails. This all-welded steel “snake” changes in length by nearly 20 centimeters between winter and summer.The body, made of weathering steel, changes its appearance over time and is already developing the distinctive deep brown striations characteristic of this material. From the 34-meter-tall tower, visitors can observe the treetops and the mountain ranges of the Echigo Sanmyaku. In winter, visitors are guided through walls of snow and suddenly emerge into the entrance. Beneath the snow lies a tunnel-like world, isolated from the outside—a feature unique to snow country.All windows are made of thick acrylic, capable of withstanding immense weight, and reveal cross-sections of the snow. Life forms within the snow unfold across the entire window. In summer, beech groves and The Rice Fields fill the walls. Buried deep within the grove, I hope it will remain just as it is, transcending the passage of hundreds or thousands of years.