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Offered languages
- English
This 1-day guided tour offers an immersive experience at the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field, one of the world's largest international art festivals. Explore a unique fusion of art and nature in the picturesque satoyama region.
Highlights include the mesmerizing "Tunnel of Light" at Kiyotsu Gorge and evocative installations like "For Lots of Lost Windows" and "The Last Class." Visit the Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum and MonET, a contemporary art museum featuring works like Leandro Erlich's "Palimpsest: Pond of Sky."
Enjoy a buffet lunch featuring local ingredients. With convenient round-trip options from either Tokyo or Echigo-Yuzawa, this tour is ideal for art enthusiasts, nature lovers, and those seeking unique cultural insights.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Itinerary
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1
The Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel, reborn as MAD Architects' "Tunnel of Light," reflects the grand scenery of one of Japan's great gorges. The final observation deck offers a kaleidoscopic view
1 hour • Admission ticket included -
2
"For Losts of Lost Windows": This window frame artwork on an Echigo-Tsumari hill offers seasonal views through swaying curtains. It subtly references windows lost in the 2004 Chuetsu Earthquake, conveying local memories
25 minutes • Admission ticket included -
3
"The Last Class": Christian Boltanski and Jean Kalman's Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale work in the former Higashikawa Elementary School expresses human absence
35 minutes • Admission ticket included -
4
Enjoy a buffet-style meal featuring plenty of rice from the rice terraces and fresh vegetables
1 hour • Admission ticket included -
5
After lunch, you'll have free time until 3 PM at the MVRDV-designed building, an artwork in itself, featuring works by world-renowned artists like Ilya & Emilia Kabakov and Yayoi Kusama
40 minutes • Admission ticket included -
6
Reopened in 2021, this is the main facility for the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, showcasing art integrated with local nature and culture, including Leandro Erlich's "Palimpsest: Pond of Sky"
1 hour • Admission ticket included
Additional info
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Depending on vehicle availability, several vehicles may be provided
- Cancellation may occur due to traffic obstruction caused by heavy snowfall or inclement weather in the Echigo-Tsumari region
- The order of activities and arrival times may differ depending on road conditions and congestion at destinations
Additional info
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Depending on vehicle availability, several vehicles may be provided
- Cancellation may occur due to traffic obstruction caused by heavy snowfall or inclement weather in the Echigo-Tsumari region
- The order of activities and arrival times may differ depending on road conditions and congestion at destinations
- Specific seats on board the bus cannot be requested
- The Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel is 750 meters long and takes about 30-40 minutes to walk round-trip
- The Panorama Station ("water mirror") at the end of Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel is walkable with a depth of about 0.5-2 cm, but as it is easy to get wet, please bring extra shoes, socks, towels, etc. In addition, as it is possible for multiple groups to take photos simultaneously without waiting in line at the Panorama Station, customers may freely enter and enjoy taking photos
- [About Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum] The paid area artworks/facilities that can be viewed on this tour are as follows.- Blackboard Classroom, Art Drawers, 10 Albums, Labyrinth, The Artist's Library, The Palace of Projects, How to Make Yourself Better, The Rice Fields, Rotating Absence. *Customers will be viewing on their own. Please be mindful of the allotted viewing time
- [Rules and Etiquette for Visiting Museum on Echigo-Tsumari, MonET] Flash photography is strictly prohibited to protect the artworks. Please confirm with staff members in advance as some artworks can be photographed. The artworks on display will be changed regularly, and some areas may not be open to the public during the exhibition change period. Please do not touch the artworks. Please view the museum exhibits in silence. Please leave large luggage in a locker. Eating and drinking are prohibited outside designated areas
- [Lunch: Echigo Matsudai Satoyama Shokudo (Japanese/Western-style buffet)] This buffet-style meal uses plenty of rice from the rice terraces and fresh vegetables. The menu lineup has about 20 kinds of local flavors and homemade dishes. Drink charges are not included. As lunch is a buffet, requests for vegetarian meals cannot be accommodated
- [What to Wear/Bring] Please wear shoes and clothing which are easy to walk in. This tour involves walking outdoors. Please take measures against heat depending on the season. Summer: Temperatures can reach up to 35°C. Please bring items that protect from the heat such as sunglasses, hat, parasol, neck cooler, etc. As there may be a lot of mosquitoes in June to August, please bring insect repellent. In rainy weather, using a raincoat is recommended as it offers better visibility than an umbrella, won't break in strong winds, and keeps the hands free
- Large luggage such as suitcases cannot be brought during the tour. Please have them delivered in advance, or leave them in a locker or at your hotel before participating
- [For Round-trip from Tokyo Option] Please check the tickets and final itinerary for the train number and times. Changes may not be made to the scheduled Shinkansen
- [For Round-trip from Tokyo Option] The Shinkansen schedule may vary slightly due to unforeseen conditions
- [For Round-trip from Tokyo Option] No refunds will be issued even if the Shinkansen tickets are not used. In such cases, please use public transportation to the destination on your own
- [For Round-trip from Tokyo Option] If you must cancel your tour after receiving the Shinkansen tickets, please send the tickets back to JTB Sunrise Tours
- [For Round-trip from Tokyo Option] Changes may not be made to the scheduled Shinkansen. Customers who miss the designated Shinkansen may board a later departing Shinkansen in the non-reserved car section only (same day only)
- [For Round-trip from Tokyo Option] Customers will carry their own baggage. Please be aware that there is not much space on board the Shinkansen
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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