What is the cancellation policy for this tour?

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

How long does this tour take?

Please check the tour page for the exact duration.

Echigo-Tsumari Art Tour Satoyama and Modern Art Experience

Q: Where does this tour start?

This tour starts at: Meet your guide holding a JTB Sunrise Tours sign at Tokyo Midtown Yaesu B1F Bus Terminal Tokyo Yaesu in front of Information. Access: About a 3-minute walk from JR Tokyo Station Yaesu South Exist.

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Overview

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.

Gallery

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What's Included

✓ Included

National Government Licensed English Guide Interpreter
Lunch
Admission fees and transportation costs included in the tour

✗ Not Included

Fees other than those listed in Includes
Drink charges during lunch

Itinerary

Stop 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

Stop 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

Stop 3

"The Last Class": Christian Boltanski and Jean Kalman's Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale work in the former Higashikawa Elementary School expresses human absence

Stop 4

Enjoy a buffet-style meal featuring plenty of rice from the rice terraces and fresh vegetables

Stop 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

Stop 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"

Meeting & End Point

📍

Meeting Point

Meet your guide holding a JTB Sunrise Tours sign at Tokyo Midtown Yaesu B1F Bus Terminal Tokyo Yaesu in front of Information. Access: About a 3-minute walk from JR Tokyo Station Yaesu South Exist

🏁

End Point

Tour ends at Tokyo or Ueno Station

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Good to Know

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

Known For:

Private and Luxury in Niigata Prefecture, Bus Tours in Niigata Prefecture, Architecture Tours in Niigata Prefecture, Art Tours in Niigata Prefecture, Cultural Tours in Niigata Prefecture, Day Trips in Niigata Prefecture, Rail Tours in Niigata Prefecture, Walking Tours in Niigata Prefecture

Special Instructions

• If you have arrived at the pickup location but have trouble finding the meeting point, you can call the local operator JTB Sunrise Tours on +81 3 5796 5454 (Operated between 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Japan time) for assistance.

• In case bookings have been made separately, you may be assigned to be on separate tour buses.