Sunset Village Sculpture Symposium This year again, works by Yoichi Okumura, who lives in Miyazaki City, have come to Gokasecho✨ These gentle pieces reflect Okumura’s warm personality😊 Although stone is usually thought of as hard, he can express it so softly😲 Looking at the works gives you a cozy, warm feeling🥰 A picture book about a snowman was also placed there to help visitors feel a little cooler⛄ You could also watch the creation process👀 The stone’s sheen is different before and after, isn’t it!? (Maybe it’s the photographer’s skill…😅) By the time he arrived in Gokasecho, he had already created about seven pieces✨ He is expected to dedicate a work to Furudono Shrine again this year, which is something to look forward to🎵 You can see the exhibition and Okumura’s working process below Furudono Shrine💡 He is scheduled to stay in Gokasecho until September 3, but since there will be tidying up and other tasks, it might be best to visit in August😊 *Note: Okumura will be absent on August 7.*

【Friday, August 9 — Yoichi Okumura’s Toybox-Like Solo Exhibition 🧸🪁⭐】 You may have noticed his soft, rounded sculptures around town — at Furutono Shrine, the winery, Chuo Nursery School, and other spots — catching your eye with their gentle presence. The artist behind those works, Yoichi Okumura, is holding a solo exhibition in the assembly hall at Furutono Shrine while continuing his studio practice through the summer.✨ Although he usually lives in Miyazaki City, he stays in Gokasecho for about 40 days each summer, and this year marks his 28th season here.😯💡 Each visit he places works somewhere around Furutono Shrine, so roughly 28 pieces are now hidden around the grounds.😆 Finding them all is said to be quite a challenge…😏 The owl in the third photo is still unfinished, but it will join the collection at Furutono Shrine this year. A treasure-hunt-style stroll around the shrine sounds like fun.😊 His sculptures brim with playfulness: sometimes they carry a single color accent, other times they wear bold hues, and sometimes the stone’s natural color becomes part of the piece’s charm. Using a 6 mm chisel, he essentially paints on the stone with tiny dots — the detail is astonishingly delicate. He also paints, producing gentle, picture-book-style illustrations — truly lovely work.😌 (He has actually published a picture book.) Okumura said that whenever he makes work in Gokasecho he can’t help adding stars to them. The Gokase night sky finds its way into his pieces.⭐👏 We were able to observe him working; the scene felt like he was breathing life into the stone, conversing with each piece as he shaped it. The unworked stones placed near him seemed eager to be made into something, as if quietly asking to be transformed.😊✨ He will remain in Gokase through the end of August, so please consider visiting while you can.🙌 He will also hold a solo exhibition at gallery roof for in Miyazaki City from October 16 to 20. If you have the chance, do go see it.😌

The sculptures at the Chichibu Treasure Climbing Shrine were gorgeous, and I couldn't help but take a picture. The fineness of the carvings and the vividness of the colors are all wonderful. It is a workmanship that makes you feel Cool Japan.

Seiko Sawada Memorial Museum This museum gathers representative works by Seiko Sawada, a native of Atami City who received the Order of Culture. It displays art across many fields, including numerous wood carvings, paintings, ink wash works, ceramics, prints, and calligraphy. There is a popular belief that if you hold hands beneath the entrance ceiling stained glass panel "Hiten," you will remain happy forever. The reflection of "Hiten" on the red granite floor is also beautiful, so visitors can enjoy the stained glass both overhead and underfoot. ● Seiko Sawada (1894–1988) Born Toshiyoshi. An artist awarded the Order of Culture and an honorary citizen of Atami City. He grew up by the sea in Atami and, at 19, aspired to become a sculptor. He trained under Yamamoto Zuiun, a leading disciple of Koun Takamura. Until his death at 93, he worked across many artistic fields, producing numerous wood carvings as well as paintings, ceramics, prints, and calligraphy. His powerful, life-filled, and poetic works speak to the hearts of many and evoke great romance. Address / 9-46 Umezonocho, Atami City, Shizuoka 413-0032 (next to Atami Plum Garden) Phone / 0557-81-9211 Access / About 15 minutes by bus toward Ainogahara from atami station on JR, then get off at Sawada Memorial Museum stop Hours / 9:00–16:30 Closed / Mondays (open on public holidays) Admission / Adults 380 yen (250 yen for groups); Junior and senior high school students 250 yen (120 yen for groups); Elementary school students and younger free Parking / 10 spaces (free) ※Parking unavailable during the Plum Festival

Projects related to the 61st Obihiro Ice Festival The 40th Hokkaido Ice Sculpture Exhibition Winter Obihiro Convention It is the "Water Dragon" selected for the Obihiro Mayor's Award. Stacked ice blocks on top of each other, Chisels, luters, heat guns, etc. I'm going to finish it with tools. When the base is inserted, the height is about 2 meters The fine beard and scales were amazing It's a warm winter this year, so this afternoon Of the 12 ice sculptures in total, 2 are Unfortunately, it collapsed. Next month, the Sapporo Snow Festival will start Once every few years, a large snow sculpture melts due to the warm air. Even during the event to ensure the safety of the audience Heavy machinery may be used to break it. If global warming continues at this rate The timing and duration of winter events, etc. Maybe it's going to change

On both sides of the approach to the shrine with a view of the worship hall, there is a pair of stone top dogs, which always protect the gods. This powerful and dignified komainu was dedicated in 1938 by a then-famous Japanese confectionery shop called "Oki Kyodo" in Hondori 5-chome, Shimada, the year after the start of the Sino-Japanese War China Incident, and was carved by Shimada stonemason Masuno-chohei. The right pedestal is carved with the words "Takeyu" and the left pedestal is carved with "Nagahisa", and it seems that it is a top dog dedicated to pray for Japan's victory and peace, and the safety of those who went to war.

UBE Biennale Sculpture Hill Venue of UBE Biennale Contemporary Japanese Sculpture Exhibition, an international competition for outdoor sculpture Here you can admire the latest works. There are a lot ❗️ of mysterious works #hidden gem #Photo Contest

Roadside station Inami ● Free parking is large ● Easy to move wheelchairs with few steps in the building ● You can enjoy sculptures ● There is also a restaurant ● Perfect for driving breaks ● Local ingredients are also sold ● Manju and roasted chestnuts are delicious

When you walk around Kobe, you will find many things. I would like to deliver such something that caught my eye as the "Kobe, Rediscovered" series. The first stage is the work of Kobe-born sculptor Hirokazu Ichii. "Rainbow Floating Statue" Sunlight from far away space encountered water droplets on the earth after rain and created rainbow colors. I hope that many such miraculous encounters will be born in Kobe, and that many wonderful rainbows will be cast. It is written. This is a statue that I stopped when I was walking along the center street of Sannomiya. I hope that when you come to Kobe, you will find it. There are a lot of people on the street, so please be careful not to face down too much and bump into it.

Went to Shinjuku Station the other day and took of photo of the giant metal sculpture while I was there. I've only passed it a few times since it was erected during the pandemic, but my curiosity finally got the best of me, and I had some extra time anyways so I snapped a quick shot of it. I did a little research on it and it was apparently made by the famous arist Tomokazu Matsuyama and the theme of theme for lack of a better word is to greet visitors with surprise and bewilderment. It's pretty interesting and looks different from every angle as well. If you look at the right side of the photo it's kind of cut off you can see it holding a flower with its arm outstretched. The name of it is Hanao-san, and while I'm not sure of the origin behind the name it has certainly piqued my interest...

Was out near Tokyo Station this weekend and decided to snap some pictures of the giraffe sculpture and the "Bell of Peace." I really love the crown that the giraffe is wearing lol. I'll have to start taking more pictures when I see cool things like this. I usually just admire it for a second and then go on my way. Going to have to make an effort to remember to take photos!