About the artwork
A cluster of large pencils suspended from thick pillars has appeared on Matsudai Castle Hill. Each pencil bears the name of a country from around the world.These oversized pencils, colored in various hues, vary in height from short to tall. The “pencil city” is secured within a frame of stainless steel columns, suspended about two meters above the ground, floating above the natural landscape of the satoyama. This colorful city, suspended upside down, points its tips toward the people, instilling a sense of both awe and menace in those who look up at it.
We are currently suspending publication. Please wait a little longer until we resume. (Updated April 19, 2026)
Information and Map
| Artwork no. | D184 |
|---|---|
| Production year | 2009 |
| Opening hours | Daytime |
| Admission | — (Depending on the period, we may sell ETAT Passports or Common Tickets) |
| Closed | Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (except holidays; outside artworks can still be viewed on closed days), Winter |
| Area | Matsudai |
| Village | Shiriyama |
| Official website | https://matsudai-nohbutai-fieldmuseum.jp/art/ |
| Venue | The area around Matsudai "Nobutai" (3743-1 Matsudai, Tokamachi city, Niigata Prefecture) |
Articles
Stay connected with the ETAT official social media to receive the latest news and event information, and the many seasonal faces of Echigo-Tsumari as well as new issue of the ETAT official media, “Art from the Land”.
