The Sports Festival in which diverse people participate in their own specialties.

A field day in Japan is an event where people of all ages gather to not only participate in competitions, but also to enjoy watching, eating lunch, and cheering for the athletes. The “Daichi no Undokai” invites many people from overseas to participate in this kind of Japanese field day, and we aim to make the event more diverse and varied by inviting artists, musicians, and non-professionals to showcase their specialties.

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Why Art Field Day?

Art Field Day will be held on Saturday, September 20th. This event will be a highlight of the art festival, bringing together a diverse array of participants, including local residents, children, supporters, artists, and people from different nationalities, regions, generations, and genres.

The Sports Festival (or “undookai”), a unique Japanese tradition, involves not only schoolchildren and their parents but also local elders, preschoolers, and everyone in the community. It features competitive events such as tug-of-war and ball-toss games, cheering contests, music performances during the breaks, spirited announcements to encourage the participants, colourful scoreboards, a picnic atmosphere with lunchboxes in the spectator area, and a relay race with representatives from different generations.

Art Field Day promises to be a unique event engaging all five senses, showcasing the essence of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale through a blend of sports, dance, music, art, and culinary delights. It will also serve as a grand gathering for foreign workers and refugees living in Japan, their supporters, economically disadvantaged children, disaster survivors, people with disabilities and their caregivers, local residents, and supporters.

The Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, founded on the principle that “human beings are part of nature” is a project that has explored the relationship between people and nature for over a quarter of a century. The fact that 8 billion individuals live simultaneously on this planet is the precious reality we consider the essence of art. Every place is the centre of the world, and it is this philosophy that allows communities to shine—this is the motto of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale.

We invite you to join us for the Art Field Day, where people from different backgrounds can spend a joyous day together, getting to know each other and forming closer bonds. Come and be a part of this diverse and collaborative celebration.

Kitagawa Fram
(General Director, Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale)

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Photos from last year