Travel Information

The holding area of the ETAF is vast.
In Echigo-Tsumari, Tokamachi, Kawanishi,
Nakasato, Matsushiro, Matsunoyama, Tsunan
It consists of six areas.

Tokamachi Area

Tokamachi is located on the east side of the Shinanogawa River and has been developed through agriculture and the textile industry. Over ten elementary schools have closed inthis area due to depopulation and one of the closed school has transformed into the "Museum of Picture Book Art" by Seizo Tashima.

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Kawanishi Area

Kawanishi is located on a 50m-high hill on the western side of the Shinanogawa River. Visitors can enjoy a visit to "House of Light" by James Turrell, and "Berry Spoon", a blueberry farm run by local residents.

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Nakasato Area

Nakasato is surrounded by Shinanogawa River, Kiyotsu River, Kama River, and Nana River, this area is florished by water. The westeland by the river bank of Kama River which was once a place for locals to play was returned to a beautiful parkland by Finnish architect practice, Casagrande and RIntala.

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Matsudai Area

Matsudai is a hilly area surrounded by mountains that stretches along the Shibumi River, one of the branches of Shinanogawa River. The "Shedding House", a renovation of the old minka house is close to the famous terraced rice fields in Hoshitoge villaget and is available to stay overnight.

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Matsunoyama Area

Matsunoyama is a mountainous area approximately 200 to 600 meter above sea-level and is located on the border of Niigata and Nagano prefectures.The greeny Daigonji Highland is locatedon on 700m above sea-level.

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Tsunan Area

Tsunan is located at the southern tip of Niigata prefecture on the border of Nagano prefecture. Lots of ruins from the Jomon Era (14,000 – 300 BC) have been discovered in this area. The accmmodation, Katakuri House using the wooden elementary school is also located in this area.

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Museum

Museum on Echigo-Tsumari, MonET

The base facility of the "Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale". The architecture was designed by Hara Hiroshi + ATLIERΦ, who also designed the Kyoto Station Building. Fifteen permanent works by artists from Japan and abroad are on display throughout the year, with special exhibitions held seasonally and a museum shop. In 2021, the museum reopened with a major relocation of the permanent collection.

Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum (Collective name for multiple facilities and artworks)

The Matsudai NOHBUTAI is a base facility designed by Dutch architect group MVRDV. Approximately 40 works of art are scattered in a 2-km area of satoyama from Matsudai NOHBUTAI to Matsudai Castle at the top of the mountain, and the entire area is called the "Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum.

Tunnel of Light (Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel)

One of Echigo-Tsumari's representative sights, the Kiyotsukyo Valley Tunnel has been refurbished by fusing it with art works. A tunnel with a total length of 750m is likened to a submarine cut off from the outside world.
*Advance reservations are required during peak seasons (GW, consecutive holidays, Obon, and autumn foliage season).

Hachi & Seizo Tashima Museum of Picture Book Art

※ The museum is closed during winter: from end of November to end of April
A walk-in picture book created by Seizo Tashima in 2009 in a former elementary school. The story behind this museum is based on the last three students of the school and visitors can physically experience the picture book as they walk through the museum. The space is filled with objects made of driftwood picked up in Izu Peninsula and from the Sea of Japan, reshaped to represent students, teachers, and even monsters.

Echigo-Matsunoyama Museum of Natural Science “Kyororo”

A 10-minutes drive from Matsudai Station, Kyororo is a natural science museum that provides deep insights into the ecology of the local area and its characteristic natural landscape of terraced rice fields, beech forests, and thatched roof houses.

House of Light

The House of Light is a work of art created by James Turrell, renowned globally as "an artist of light". At this experimental piece you can experience the artist's world of art, is an architectural structure unparalleled elsewhere in the world. It was conceived as a guest house for meditation, as Turrell found this concept in Junichiro Tanizaki's essay "In Praise of Shadows". He came up with the idea of incorporating his work on light into the intimate light of a traditional Japanese-style house.

Eat

Echigo-Matsudai Satoyama Shokudo

At the Echigo-Matsudai Satoyama Shokudo, we invite you to enjoy fresh vegetables, "sansai" (wild mountain plants), and locally-cultivated rice while overlooking terraced rice field landscapes. The restaurant serves a unique menu inspired by local traditional recipes passed down over generations - but with a modern twist.

Ubusuna House

This old thatched-roof house is about 100 years old. Enjoy seasonal home-style dishes prepared by local mothers in dishes created by a leading Japanese ceramic artist.

Hachi Café

Cafe and restaurant space located within the Hachi & Seizo Tashima Museum of Picture Book Art. The chairs and tables used in the cafe are remade of those once used at this former elementary school. The cafe serves food and original desserts only using produce from the Echigo-Tsumari region.

TSUMARI BURGER (Museum on Echigo-Tsumari (MonET) 1F Community Space)

Original burgers supervised by Chef Fumio Yonezawa are sold. The menu changes with the seasons, and the burgers, which include Tsumari pork, Kagura Nanban, walnuts, and other unique Tsumari flavors, are always popular and sold out many days. The chef's special hamburgers, made with his extensive knowledge of local ingredients, are a special menu item that cannot be found anywhere else.
[Opening Hours in 2023] Apr 29 - May 7, Jul 29- Aug 31 except Tues and Wed

Salon MonET

Open in July 2021 in conjunction with the renovation of MonET, the Museum on Echigo-Tsumari.

Kamigo Clove Theatre Restaurant

Housed in the Echigo-Tsumari Kamigo Clove Theatre - previously the Kamigo Junior High School - the Clove Theatre restaurant is a "performing restaurant" where local women cook wonderful dishes for you while acting out a theatrical performance. ※ Open for a limited period. For details, please check the "Opening Hours".
［Opening Hours in 2023］Sat, Sun , & holidays from July 29- Aug 27, 2023

Stay

Katakuri House

Katakuri House is an accommodation venue housed in a renovated former school from the 19th century. Located in the hidden scenic area of Akiyamago, the school was the educational hub for local children for 108 years before its closure in 1992. The local staff members at Katakuri House who are enchanted by the abundant nature and history of Akiyamago look forward to welcoming you with its comfortable rooms and delicious cuisine.

House of Light

Sansho House

Sansho House is a unique accommodation space, renovated from a 50-year old former wooden school building. We invite guests to sleep in hand-crafted wooden beds arranged in the former classrooms of the school. Local staff members eagerly await your visit to share their stories and thorough knowledge of the local region.

Ubusuna House

This former minka house built in 1924 is reborn as a museum of potteries. On the ground floor, distinguished Japanese potters have reimagined a traditional cooking stove, washbasin, and bathtub. Visitors are welcome to enjoy local cuisines and delicacies cooked by local women and served in plates and bowls created by these potters. Three tea rooms on the upper floor also serve as a gallery space.
[Overnight stay business in 2023] Fri, Sat, Sun and holidays from Apr 29 - Nov 5,2023

Dream House

An artwork by Marina Abramović which provides guests with a unique opportunity to reflect upon themselves by dreaming overnight. Guests are invited to "participate" in the artwork directly through wearing a special sleeping suit, sleeping in a unique bed, and keeping notes of their own dreams, which will be contributed to the house's "Dream Book".
[Overnight stay business in 2023] the day before Sat, Sun & holidays from 29 Jul - 18 Sep, 2023

Shedding House

Shedding House is a renovated 150-year old minka house. By carving every surface of this abandoned house, Junichi Kurakake and volunteers of Nihon University College of Art Sculpture Course opened up the enclosed space and helped it "shed" and turn into a work of art. We invite you to enjoy the special experience of staying in an artwork in this farming region.
[Overnight stay business in 2023] the day before Sat, Sun and holidays from Apr 29 - Nov 4,2023

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