Nakagawa Koisago 那珂川町小砂
The cultivated countryside
Nakagawa Koisago, which has been designated as one of the most beautiful villages in Japan, is located in the north of Tochigi prefecture, in the Nasu district. Lost in the countryside, it is part of Nakagawa-machi, a bucolic town that has many cultural surprises in store.
A few hours by train from Tokyo, you can enjoy the Japanese countryside while getting educated.
Nakagawa-machi
The town of Nakagawa-machi is located on the banks of the river of the same name ( kawa or gawa means "river" in Japanese) famous for fishing for ayu , a small freshwater fish with a slightly sweet taste answering to the scientific name of Plecoglossus altivelis . From June to October, fishing enthusiasts come to catch the ayu with their bare hands and can taste them on the spot by grilling them in the restaurants set up near the river.
Against a backdrop of rice paddies and forests, a magnificent modern building wrapped in trellis suddenly looms up, blending into the surrounding countryside: the Nakagawa-machi Bato Hiroshige Museum of Art designed by architect Kengo Kuma . Here we find the hallmark of the famous architect: harmony between buildings and nature, predominance of wood and local and traditional materials. This museum mainly devoted to the ukiyo-e painter Utagawa Hiroshige was founded in 2000 thanks to the donation of the collection of Mr. Fujio Aoki, a businessman from Tochigi prefecture.
To read: Where to see the works of Kengo Kuma
Nakagawa Koisago
At Nakagawa Koisago , picture books take center stage. On top of a green hill, the Iwamura Kazuo Ehon-no-Oka Art Museum was established in 1998 by Mr. Iwamura Kazuo himself. The author-illustrator of children's books, known in France for his series of albums "La Famille Souris", has brought together his works whose stories have been greatly inspired by nature and the surrounding villages. Here too, nature and art merge and visitors, from the top of the hill nicknamed "the hill of the picture books", can admire the river and the town of Nakagawa-machi.
Imamura Kazuo's "The Mouse Family" Series Albums
IoT
The village of Nakagawa Koisago, whose landscapes of rice fields and a narrow strip of sand by the river have earned it the title of one of the most beautiful villages in Japan , is also home to a forest dotted with a dozen sculptures , making it a decidedly this little corner of the Japanese countryside a place apart.
one more
Founded in 2001, the aptly named " One more museum " has taken over the buildings of a former school dating from 1913. In a deliciously retro atmosphere, this alternative art museum houses an exhibition space which hosts three times a year works by disabled artists.
See also: Sleep in a school
A region with a long artistic tradition
If the museums mentioned above date from contemporary times, the area of Koisago, rich in clay, has been famous since the middle of the 19th century for its pottery called Koisago-yaki. Several galleries are in the area and the Fujita ceramics shop offers pottery workshops.
Address, timetable & access
Address
Timetable
Take the Tohoku shinkansen bound for Sendai at Tokyo Station to Utsunomiya Station (50 mins) Take the Utsunomiya Line to Ujiie (17 mins) then walk to Ujiie-ekimae bus stop and take the bus to Sakae-machi station then walk to Nakagawa (about 8 min.)
