Towada Art Centre - an underrated gem in Japan

 I was up in Misawa to visit galleries and stay in an onsen, but more on that to come. I had spent the morning at the Shuji Terayama Museum so only had the afternoon left to explore Towada.

I'd just missed the bus to Towada so as I was time poor, I grabbed a taxi and went straight to the Towada Art Centre. It took about 25 minutes. 

You are greeted by the sculptures in the park opposite the gallery. Big name artists on display for all the world to see. For Kusama alone I knew I'd made the right choice to visit.

However, what was lying in wait for me was absolute delight. 

They say their mission is to 'provide new experiences through art' and it feels like a journey of discovery as you weave through the rooms, climb ladders, chairs and crouch down to enter rooms. It is indoors and outdoors and an almost overwhelming joy to experience.

The permanent collection is 41 commissioned artworks but 36 world renowned artists, such as Yayoi Kusama, Ron Mueck and Leandro Erlich. There were many works by artists I adore, instantly recognisable but the work that really summed up the whole gallery experience for me was Sumpf Land by Takashi Kuribayashi.. This seemingly normal room we recognise in galleries, rewards us for climbing on to the furniture to see what lies beyond our vision - it encourages us to cross the boundary from the familiar to what we can see if we choose to engage, however I will leave that as a surprise for you to discover! I squealed elated when the world above me was revealed!

Most people go to Towada for the nature but I feel the city is overlooked and this gallery might be one of the best* in Japan. 

The Towada Art Centre state that their mission is to provide 'thought-provoking art experiences that enrich the lives of our visitors' and for this visitor, it really did just that!

An aside: I had planned to spend more time exploring the town centre and some of the parks and other art locations but after my sensational soba lunch stop, it began to pour, and so I made my way to the bus station and got the next bus home (takes about 40 mins to the Misawa train station). For those not used to the bus, you take a ticket and pay when you get off. I was trying to pay in advance and a kind stranger had to get involved to ease the confusion.

Practicalities:'

Towada Art Centre

Kanpai! Towada

Towada Site

Japanese Guide: Towada

I flew JAL to Misawa because on my dates and times it was about $100AUD cheaper than the Shinkansen and 2 hours less than the train (so even with the airport check in time, it was still an hour quicker).

Further Reading:

As visiting the The Tokyo Toilet Project was part of the purpose of my trip, this work, Unknown Mass by inges idee (2010) in Towada's Art Square was a forerunner to the architectural designs in the capital, which were commissioned in 2018.  (My review on the Tokyo Toilet Book is here).

Inakadate Rice Paddy Art

*If not the best, it is my favourite.

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