9:00 Echigo-Yuzawa Station Echigo-Tsumari Information Center Participant check-in starts

9:30 Departure from Echigo-Yuzawa Station (East Exit Bus Terminal)

30min.

10:00 An entire tunnel transformed into art

"Tunnel of Light" Ma Yansong / MAD Architects

The tour kicks off with the ever-popular Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel. Kiyotsu Gorge, one of Japan’s three great gorges, was shaped by 16 million years of geological history. Inside the 750m-long tunnel, experience a stunning fusion of art and nature. The breathtaking scenery changes with the seasons, making every visit unique.

Tunne national park

Details

3 min.

11:10 The Art Festival's ideological transition and the artist's history

Isobe Yukihisa Memorial Echigo-Tsumari Kiyotsu Soko Museum of Art ［SoKo］

Renovated from an elementary school into a museum in 2015, it now houses works by Yukihisa Isobe. As part of the “Akiyama Journey” project, it focuses on　Shimizugawara village and presents panels and videos exploring local weather patterns and water cycles from a science perspective.

Museum

Details

15 min.

12:00 Facing environmental issues through art

"POTEMKIN" Architect Office Casagrande & Rintala

Once plagued by illegal dumping, this riverbank has been reborn through a public–private architectural project. White pebbles, majestic trees, and the sweeping river mingle with remnants of industrial waste to create a one‑of‑a‑kind space.

Environment

Details

45 min.

13:00 A thatched-roof farmhouse over 100 years old

[Lunch] Ubusuna House

A thatched-roof farmhouse reborn as a pottery museum. Enjoy the heartfelt hospitality and nourishing dishes prepared by the vibrant local mothers.

Lunch

Details

20 min.

14:20 Meditation Hall Overlooking the Three Echigo Mountains

"House of Light" James Turrell

This is the only work in the world by James Turrell, who has explored the "perception of light" through the theme of light and space, and was conceived as a "guesthouse for meditation"

Stay

Details

25 min.

15:00 Spatial picture book museum in an abandoned school

Hachi & Seizo Tashima Museum of Picture Book Art

This museum, set in a former school, brings a picture book world to life. Through driftwood artworks and various creatures, it weaves a story centered on "the last three students," creating an immersive, storybook-like experience.

Museum Cafe

Details

20 min.

16:10 A representative museum of Echigo-Tsumari.

Museum on Echigo-Tsumari, MonET/Akashinoyu

This is the main facility of the "Echigo-Tsumari Art Field," featuring works by renowned contemporary artists such as Nawa Kohei, Nakatani Michiko, and 目[mé]. MonET Corridor, directed by BankART1929, hosts a multi-artist exhibition.
You can break away from the tour here to enjoy the light displays or relax at the Akashi-no-Yu hot spring.
*If you wish to leave the tour, please inform us when making your reservation.

Museum Base facility

Details

5min.

18:00 Arrival / Disbanding at Echigo-Yuzawa Station