[The Forest Festival of the Arts Okayama] A two-day, one-night tour of all the artworks by rental car

Okayama Airport (Okayama Airport) is a locally managed airport located in Kita Ward, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture. The nickname is "Okayama Momotaro Airport". It is located 15 km northwest of the center of Okayama City.

A sense of adventure amidst magnificent scenery!

Viewing artworks at Ikura-do Cave(Niimi City)
[Time to view artworks: Approximately 1 hour]
*Depending on the situation on the day, there may be waiting times.
Parking: Ikura-do Cave No. 1 Parking Lot (free: 200 cars)

A huge limestone cave stretching 1,200m in length and 90m in elevation upstream of the Takahashi River. There are many viewing spots inside the cave with names such as "Ginsudare," "Mizugoromo," and "Kurageiwa." The natural art created over many years is well worth seeing. The lit-up strange rock formations look like a "stone curtain"! Near the exit is "Arizona Shrine," which is worshipped as the god of matchmaking. Stop by as a power spot for love.
In addition, from Saturday, September 28, 2024 to Sunday, November 24, 2024, an international art festival called "The Forest Festival of the Arts Okayama" will be held in the northern part of Okayama Prefecture, and Ikura-do Cave has been selected as the venue for the exhibition of art works. The artist whose works will be exhibited is Anri Sala.

Painting installations will be displayed in public spaces where people gather.
Viewing artworks at Manabinomori Niimi Library (Niimi City)



[Time to view artwork: Approximately 10 minutes]

Parking: Manabinomori Niimi Library Parking (free: 202 spaces)


It opened in April 2017 inside the cultural exchange facility "Manabi Hiroba Niimi" in Niimi City. In addition to a stylish entrance and a wooden children's book corner, it also has a cafe.
At the cafe "Manabinomori" on the second floor, you can enjoy tea time while looking out over the Takahashi River. You can enjoy lunch, as well as sweets and drinks made with fruits from local orchards.

Ninagawa's unique worldview creates a fantastical atmosphere!

Viewing artworks at Maki-do Cave Maki Community Center (Niimi City)
[Time to view artworks: about 1 hour]
Parking: Ikura-do Cave No. 1 Parking Lot (free: 20 spaces)
Parking: Ikura-do Cave No. 2 Parking Lot (free: 30 spaces)

This 450m-long limestone cave is designated as a natural monument by the prefecture. In 1929 (Showa 4), poets Yosano Tekkan and his wife Akiko praised it as a "cave full of wonders," and it came to be called Maki-do Cave. The silent cave is lit up with colorful LEDs, creating a mystical atmosphere. There are plenty of things to see, including the Ryugu Bridge that spans the inner lake at the very back of the cave, and Senmaida, one of Japan's finest rice terraces with rimstone. The Lover's Fountain inside the cave has been designated as a "sacred place for lovers."
The international art festival "The Forest Festival of the Arts Okayama" will be held in the northern part of Okayama Prefecture from Saturday, September 28, 2024 to Sunday, November 24, 2024, and Maki-do Cave has been selected as the exhibition venue for the art works. Photographer and film director Mika Ninagawa will exhibit her works in Maki-do Cave.

A variety of paintings that will captivate the viewer

Viewing artworks at GREENable HIRUZEN (Maniwa City)

[Time to view artwork: Approximately 40 minutes] *Closed on Wednesdays

Parking: Hiruzen Highlands Center Parking (free: 1,000 spaces)


"GREENable HIRUZEN" is a base facility for spreading awareness of the value of sustainability to more people. This facility was designed and supervised by architect Kengo Kuma, and is a relocated wooden building that was once used in Harumi, Tokyo.
The relocatable building, which is not possible with conventional concrete structures, has become a symbol of the brand as a form of low-carbon, sustainable architecture and as a representation of the exchange of resources and culture between urban and rural areas.
The facility consists of a visitor center and shop selling goods that help people put sustainability into practice, the Maniwa City Hiruzen Museum which promotes arts and culture, a cycling center which offers experience programs, and the CLT pavilion "Kaze no Ha."

Stay overnight at Yubara Onsen(Maniwa City)

Located downstream from Yubara Dam, this popular hot spring area stretches along the Asahi River. It has a large amount of hot water, and the high-quality, highly alkaline spring water feels smooth on the skin. The symbol of the hot spring town is the large natural open-air bath "Sunayu", made from hot spring water that bubbles up from the bottom of the river. With the cooperation of the locals, it is open 24 hours a day for free, so you can enjoy the natural hot spring in the midst of nature at any time. It is rated as the "west champion" in the national open-air bath rankings, and you can enjoy baths of different temperatures, such as the beauty bath, fertility bath, and longevity bath.

Nearby tourist spots include the vast plateau of Hiruzen-kogen Heights, which is very popular with families. Dairy products made from free-range Jersey cows are also recommended as souvenirs. At Kanba Falls, which was selected as one of the "100 Best Waterfalls in Japan," you may be greeted by about 200 wild monkeys.

"Noren" (shop curtains) can be found all around town

Viewing artworks in the Katsuyama Historical Preservation District(Maniwa City)
[Time to view artwork: Approximately 20 minutes]
Parking: On-site parking and others (free: approx. 320 spaces in total)

[A town full of atmosphere decorated with plant-dyed noren curtains] Katsuyama Katsuyama as a post town on the Izumo Kaido road. Even today, traditional white-walled storehouses, merchant houses with lattice windows, and old streetscapes remain, and it was the first town in Katsuyama prefecture to be designated a "townscape preservation district." Today, noren curtains have become the symbol of Katsuyama, delighting tourists all over the town. In addition, the remains of the Takase boat landing site, which is said to have begun in the Muromachi period, remain along the Asahikawa River for about 700 meters, and the scenery of piled cobblestones and white walls recalls the bustling past.

Developing works that vividly convey the rich natural environment of the forest region and the magnificent beauty of the valley

Viewing artworks at the Okutsukei Valley and Okutsu Promotion Center (Kagamino Town )
[Time to view artwork: Approximately 20 minutes]
Ootsuri Onsen Parking Lot (free: approx. 20 cars) or

Okutsu Promotion Center Parking Lot (Free: Approx. 250 spaces)

*Please use the shuttle bus from Okutsukei Valley in Kagamino Town .

Okutsukei is a 3km long Okutsukei Valley where you can enjoy the beauty of its varied scenery. Known as one of Okayama's most famous autumn foliage spots, it attracts many tourists from outside the prefecture during the season. The "Autumn Foliage Walk" with a local guide is also popular during this time of year, and it is said that walking along the mountain stream while enjoying nature and history will energize you with the negative ions. In spring, you can enjoy the magnolia and rhododendrons, and in summer, you can enjoy walking while enjoying the coolness of the fresh greenery. There is a promenade along the river where you can enjoy the rare potholes.

The area flourished as a castle town on both sides of Tsuyama Castle (Kakuzan Park), and is an area that is rich in natural environment, history, culture, etc.

Viewing artworks in the Tsuyama Castle area (Tsuyama City)
[Time to view artworks: Approximately 3 hours]
parking:
Please park in the paid parking lots around Tsuyama Castle or the Arne Tsuyama parking lot (paid: 17 Shinbashi-cho, Tsuyama Station), and then use the Tsuyama City Shuttle Bus (free) or rent a bicycle.
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The symbol of Tsuyama City, chosen as one of Japan's Top 100 Castles and Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots. It was built in 1616 by Mori Tadamasa, the younger brother of Mori Ranmaru, who was killed in the Honnoji Incident. All of the structures were demolished under the Meiji Era's castle abolition order, but in 2005, the Bitchu Turret was restored to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the castle's construction. It has become a new popular spot, along with its stone walls that are over 10m high. It is also known as one of the best cherry blossom spots in the prefecture, and the sight of around 1,000 cherry trees in full bloom is magnificent.
Cherry blossom season: Early April to mid-April (approximately 1,000 trees)
Wisteria season: late April to early May
Azalea season: late April to early May
Hydrangea season: Mid-June to late June
Autumn foliage season: late October to mid-November

Artworks that can be enjoyed with all five senses are displayed in a lush park

Viewing artworks in the Green Hills Tsuyama area (Tsuyama City)

[Time to view artwork: Approximately 10 minutes]

Parking: South Parking Lot No. 1 (free: 360 spaces)
・South Parking Lot No. 3 (free: 30 cars)
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This park is located in the hills to the north of Tsuyama city, and is brimming with greenery. Its vast 25-hectare site is home to a variety of facilities, including a regional center, a restaurant, and the local production and consumption center "Sun Hills." The park can be used for a variety of purposes, including "Trim Forest's Naughty Castle" for families with small children, the "Flower Garden" for flower lovers, the "Shade of the Restaurant" on the south site and the "Multipurpose Square" on the north site for those who want to relax alone, as well as picnics, walks with dogs, and jogging.

From Saturday, September 28th to Sunday, November 24th, 2024, it will be the exhibition venue for the international art festival "The Forest Festival of the Arts Okayama." For more information, please see the official website of the Forest Art Festival.

Located at the southern foot of Mt.Nagi, the artworks are on display in an area where visitors can admire the majestic scenery that blends in with nature throughout the seasons.

Viewing artworks in the area surrounding Nagi Museum of Contemporary Art (Nagi Town)
[Time to view artworks: Approximately 1 hour]
Parking: Parking lot near Nagi Museum of Contemporary Art (free: 400 spaces)
*Spark Nagi parking lot unavailable on September 28th

Three groups of artists were commissioned to create huge artworks, and the artworks and the entire space were then turned into architecture, making this the world's first public museum in which artwork and building are semi-permanently integrated.
It consists of three exhibition rooms named "Sun," "Moon," and "Earth."
The cylindrical exhibition room "Taiyo" displays works by leading Japanese contemporary artists Shusaku Arakawa and Madeline Gins, which can be viewed in a mysterious, slanted space.
Architect/Year of completion: Arata Isozaki/1994
Regarding visits and photography: Photography is permitted in the exhibition room

Okayama Airport (Okayama Airport) is a locally managed airport located in Kita Ward, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture. The nickname is "Okayama Momotaro Airport". It is located 15 km northwest of the center of Okayama City.