Harmony of nature and art.
Here are some of the highlights of Kirishima art forest in Yusui town in Kagoshima prefecture.
About 45 min by car from Koshikano onsen.
Kirishima Art Forest is an outdoor art museum built on a plateau about 700 meters above sea level in the western part of the Kirishima mountain range.
~About Open-air museum~
An open-air museum is an art museum where artworks and exhibits can be enjoyed in the open air.
The word "art museum" conjures up an image of a solemn atmosphere and a high level of intimacy, but an open-air art museum offers a sense of freedom because the artwork is displayed in a vast natural setting.
Visitors can enjoy the works of art while strolling slowly through nature and taking pictures while interacting with the works of art, which is a different kind of enjoyment from ordinary art museums.
It has also become a hot topic on SNS in recent years as a photogenic spot that can be enjoyed by those who have never had the opportunity to come into contact with art.
~Introducing the representative artworks of Kirishima art forest~
The Kirishima art forest has a wide variety of artworks on display, but here are some of the most representative works.
<Floating form - red> Keiji Uematsu
Works by Keiji Uematsu, contemporary artist and sculptor.
It is a work that makes you tilt your head to wonder how a red circular cone is mounted upside down on a floating round stone.
The slight connection between the cone and the stone signifies a new source of energy, and the combination of different material parts expresses the relationship between humans and nature.
No matter which way you look at it, you feel as if it is floating in the air without any sense of gravity.
<Flower of Shangri-La> Yayoi Kusama
Works by Yayoi Kusama, an avant-garde artist from Nagano Prefecture.
Yayoi Kusama is famous for her pumpkins exhibited on Naoshima, an island in the Seto Inland Sea, but in fact, her works are also exhibited at the Kirishima art forest.
The theme of the work is flowers blooming colorfully in a paradise of immortality, representing life, soul, and hope.
We can feel with this work Kusama's dynamic and overwhelming sense of color.
<You are the art>Choi Jeong Hwa
The work is by contemporary artist Choi Jeong Hwa.
The motif of this work, which looks like a doughnut, is a picture frame.
If you look through the cavity, everything you see becomes a work of art, and of course, if you enter the cavity yourself, it also becomes a work of art.
It will be fun to experiment with your friends to see what kind of pose you can take with which scenery in the background.
<Kirishima's base> Hitoshi Ushijima
At first glance, it looks like playground equipment in a park, but in fact, it is also art.
It includes a mysteriously shaped jungle gym, a slide with no stairs to climb, and other items that allow visitors to feel the connection between people and nature while actually playing with them.
The white building in the image is called "Art Hall" and was designed by architect Kunihiko Hayakawa.
The artworks are also displayed in the Art Hall, where special exhibitions are held several times a year.
There are 23 outdoor artwork in total but there are many more than the four mentioned above, so please take a walk and look for them!
~About the admission fee~
Admission to Kirishima art forest is JPY 320 for adults.
College students, junior college, and professional students can enter the park for JPY 210 upon presentation of a student ID card.
There are also exemptions for disabled persons, elementary, junior high, and high school students, and persons over 70 years old in Kagoshima.
General | High school and college students | Children (elementary, junior high school student) | Young child | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Park entrance fee | JPY 320 | JPY 210 | JPY 150 | Free |
Groups discount (More than 20 persons) | JPY 250 | JPY 160 | JPY 120 | Free |
Annual passport | JPY 640 | JPY 420 | JPY 300 | Free |
Now that we have introduced Kirishima art forest, how about it?
The Art Hall has a cafeteria and a store that sells original goods of the artists in the collection.
These original goods are only available at Kirishima art forest.
Please visit Kirishima art forest and enjoy the harmony of nature and art!
Kirishima art forest
Address | 6340-220 Kiba, Yusui town, Aira-gun, Kagoshima, 899-6201 Approximately 40 min by car from Koshikano onsen. |
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Parking lot | Avaible Parking capacity: 197 cars |
Business hours | 9:00~17:00 (admission until 16:30) Open until 19:00 on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays between 7/20~8/31 (admission until 18:30) |
Business holiday | ・Every Monday (Tuesday if monday is a national holiday) ・Year-end and New Year holidays (12/29~1/2) ・Maintenance (2/13~2/20) |
Phone number | 0995-74-5945 |
Related link | https://open-air-museum.org/ |