Fall: A Season of Art and Good Food—A Satoyama Walk Starting with New Rice

Events

Fall: A Season of Art and Good Food—A Satoyama Walk Starting with New Rice

Summary

Experience program For families

Enjoy a relaxing, slightly unusual day in the satoyama!

The “Satoyama Walk” event—a huge hit since early summer—is back with an autumn edition. Why not take a stroll through the satoyama countryside under the crisp autumn sky, with a map in hand? The trail markers feature artwork by artists from around the world. Along the way, you’ll encounter The Rice Fields ready for harvest, trees heavy with fruit, and signs of the wildlife that call this area home. Take time to admire the artwork, color in the coloring pages, or simply take a break to enjoy the scenery when you get tired.

Event Overview

■Dates:
September 28 (Mon) – November 8 (Sun), 2026 *Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except on national holidays

■Location:
Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum

■Reception:
2nd Floor Reception Desk, Matsudai NOHBUTAI

■Admission Fee
“Echigo-Tsumari Art Field 2026” Common Ticket (Adults: ¥2,500 / Elementary and Junior High School Students: ¥1,000) or Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum Ticket (Adults: ¥1,200 / Elementary and Junior High School Students: ¥600)

■Reservation
Not required

Photo by Tsuyoshi Nagumo

Main Stops

Highlight 1 | Matsudai NOHBUTAI — New Rice Fair Corner

Learn about the realities of satoyama through interviews summarizing farmers’ comments, and purchase rice.

Highlight 2 | Matsudai History Museum

Take on a quiz about two pieces of straw craft that look exactly alike but are slightly different.

Photo by Kanemoto Rintaro

Point 3 | Fort 61

Focus on trees. Take a closer look.

Photo by Nakamura Osamu

Point 4 | The Rice Fields Near Fort 61

Take a stroll through the autumn Rice Fields. The rice harvest is scheduled for October 3 and 4.

Photo by Kanemoto Rintaro

Point 5 | Field Museum Embraced by the Earth

What’s happening in the shade of the trees?

Photo by Kioku Keizo

Point 6 | The Monument of Tolerance

Through their artworks, we get a sense of the thoughts of the artists Ilya&Emilia Kabakov.

Photo by Nakamura Osamu

Point 7 | The Arch of Life

This is also an artwork by Ilya&Emilia Kabakov. After viewing the artwork, I took a break on a bench and enjoyed the view of the city.

Photo by Nakamura Osamu

Highlight 8 | Matsudai Castle　

View three artworks and experience art through a mini-workshop (coloring).

Photo by Kanemoto Rintaro

★A Special Gift We’ve set up stamp stations at eight locations. Collect three or more stamps to receive a small souvenir, and collect five or more to receive a postcard.

How to Tour

Estimated time: About 1 to 3 hours
*This varies significantly depending on the places you visit and your mode of transportation. We recommend exploring by combining a private car, rental bicycles, shuttle buses, and walking.

◎ Private Car
There are several parking lots within the Field Museum. Please park your car in one of these lots and explore the surrounding artworks on foot.
*Please note that there are narrow roads within the Field Museum. Please exercise caution if arriving in a large vehicle.

◎Shuttle Bus (Operates on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from April to November)
A shuttle bus runs regularly between Matsudai NOHBUTAI and the Administration Building (near Matsudai Castle; about a 10-minute walk). Please ask the reception staff if you’d like to use the shuttle. Travel time: About 7 minutes (one way)
*A Field Museum admission ticket or a Common Ticket is required to use the shuttle.

◎Bicycle Rental (April–November)
Bicycles are available for rent at 800 yen for 2 hours. This service is available on all operating days.
*Children’s bicycles are not available.
*Rented bicycles may only be used within the Field Museum grounds.

▼Events Currently Taking Place

Echigo Matsudai Satoyama Shokudo: New Rice Buffet

Photo by Kanemoto Rintaro

Click here for details

▼Facility Information

Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum
[Hours] 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (Last admission at 4:30 p.m.)
[Opening days] Open year-round (Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except national holidays)
[Admission] Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum ticket: Adults 1,200 yen, Elementary and Middle School Students 600 yen; or individual ticket (valid for the Matsudai History Museum as well): Adults 600 yen, Elementary and Middle School Students 300 yen

Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum

Summary

Date and time	September 28, 2026 (Mon) – November 8, 2026 (Sun) *Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except on national holidays
Venue	Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum
Admission	Included in the “Echigo-Tsumari Art Field 2026” Common Ticket or the Field Museum Ticket

Related Information

FEATURED

^4/25SAT ‐ ^11/8SUN

*Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except on holidays

Echigo-Tsumari Art Field 2026

The year-round program for the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field 2026 kicks off on April 25! Enjoy Echigo-Tsumari as you explore the Special Exhibitions and events set against the ever-changing scenery of the satoyama countryside.

FEATURED

^9/19SAT ‐ ^11/30MON

Eat and Buy New Rice—Enjoy the Bounties of the Autumn Countryside

[Sept. 19–Nov. 30] Echigo-Tsumari New Rice Fair

To celebrate the arrival of this year’s new rice season, we’re hosting “New Rice Fairs” at various venues throughout Echigo-Tsumari. Whether it’s a lunch featuring freshly cooked new rice, rice balls, shopping for new rice and side dishes to go with it, or workshops where you can enjoy the autumn countryside, we invite you to savor this year’s rice at each location. We’ll also be distributing leaflets at each venue that feature interviews with farmers from Echigo-Tsumari, highlighting both the joys and challenges of farming.

FEATURED

^9/27SAT ‐ ^11/30MON

Echigo Matsudai Satoyama Shokudo: New Rice Buffet

Freshly harvested rice from The Rice Fields right in front of Satoyama Shokudo takes center stage! We’ve prepared a selection of side dishes and soups that bring out the rice’s natural sweetness and aroma—a lineup sure to make you want to eat more rice.

FEATURED

^4/25SAT ‐ ^11/8SUN

NUNAGAWA Campus Special Exhibition: Ayako Fudamoto, “Sponge to Salmon (Nunagawa)”

We are hosting a Special Exhibition at the NUNAGAWA Campus featuring Ayako Fudamoto, an artist known for her three-dimensional artworks modeled after food and ingredients. An artist who visualizes the intersections and unexpected connections between food and the society in which we live, Fudamoto will present artworks inspired by the local cuisine of Echigo-Tsumari.

FEATURED

^7/18SAT ‐ ^11/8SUN

[Duration] July 19 (Sat) – November 9 (Sun); Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except on national holidays

Waterside ENNICHI in MonET

This is a hands-on exhibition that offers fun for everyone from children to adults. Visitors can admire artworks floating on the pond, and a festival is held in the community space on weekends. The corridors feature interactive installations such as a maze, while artworks that respond to sound and the breeze add color to the space. At night, the illuminated displays create a different atmosphere from that of the daytime. Additionally, workshops led by participating artists are scheduled to take place.

FEATURED

^9/12SAT ‐ ^11/23MON

Echigo-Tsumari MonET Exhibition　　Series Vol. 12: Ryohei Usui, “Things that remind us we exist.”

A series of Special Exhibitions that has been held at the Museum on Echigo-Tsumari, MonET since 2023. For each Special Exhibition, a guest curator selects artists and organizes the exhibition.

Related Events

FEATURED

^9/13SUN ‐ ^10/25SUN

[Running on September 13 and October 25] JIKU #013 HOKUHOKU-LINE

"JIKU" is a series of projects that uses light to express the regional axes—as well as the axes of Point of View and history—that have been obscured by urban development and changes in the landscape.This artwork is set at Misashima Station on the Hokuetsu Express Hokuhoku Line. Using the tracks of the Hokuhoku Line—which has fostered new connections within the region since its opening in 1997—the artwork expresses the value and energy of connecting one place to another. Lighting installations positioned at the front and rear of a special train illuminate the straight tunnel in sync with sound. This is an experiential artwork that can only be viewed by passengers aboard the special train.

FEATURED

^10/17SAT ‐ ^10/17SAT

Saturday, October 17, 2026, 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.

Making Straw Trivet

We’ll be making pot holders out of rice straw. The process involves attaching straw around a round straw core. This is a relatively simple form of straw craft, so even first-timers are welcome to join us.

FEATURED

^9/28SAT ‐ ^10/4SUN

Matsudai The Rice Fields Bank: Rice Harvest 2026

The Rice Fields, nurtured by the agricultural culture of this snowy region, are not only places where rice is grown but also landscapes shaped by the interplay of snowmelt, the land’s topography, and human labor. As you harvest rice in the Field Museum—dotted with Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale artwork—immerse yourself fully in the agricultural culture of this snowy region through the scenery, art, lunch, and meals shared during social gatherings.

^9/28MON ‐ ^11/8SUN

Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum

Fall: A Season of Art and Good Food—A Satoyama Walk Starting with New Rice

Why not take a walk through the countryside under the crisp autumn sky, with a map in hand? The trail markers are works of art created by artists from around the world. Along the way, you’ll encounter The Rice Fields ready for harvest, trees laden with fruit, and signs of the wildlife that calls this area home. Take a moment to admire the artwork, color in the pictures, or simply take a break to enjoy the scenery when you get tired.

FEATURED

^9/27SUN ‐ ^9/27SUN

[September 27] Rice Harvest Event at the Ketto Stone-Walled Rice Fields

To the north of the Ketto settlement in Akiyamago, Tsunan town, lie the beautiful stone-walled terraced Rice Fields known as “Ketto no Ishigakida.” These Rice Fields have been selected as one of the “100 Best Rural Landscapes in Japan,” and as part of efforts to preserve this nationally significant landscape, a rice harvest event will be held.

^7/18SAT ‐ ^9/27SUN

Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum

Tetsuro Kano: Infinite and Finite Stacks / Flexible Stacking

Collecting and stacking natural objects such as stones and trees. This is a form of play, a form of marking, and a primal act of creation that has, at times, supported religious beliefs. Through this workshop, let’s reawaken our “wild” sense of texture and form.

FEATURED

^4/25SAT ‐ ^11/8SUN

*Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except on holidays

Echigo-Tsumari Art Field 2026

^7/18SAT ‐ ^9/27SUN

Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum

Summer Mystery-Solving Field Museum Notebook 2026
— Discover the Mysteries of the Satoyama Through Art —

Visit the artworks and stamp stations scattered throughout the Field Museum and solve the puzzles using keywords related to the satoyama landscape! As you stroll, you’ll encounter artworks by artists from around the world, as well as The Rice Fields, forests, and the insects and flowers that live there.

FEATURED

^11/8SUN ‐ ^11/8SUN

Ubusuna House Harvest Festival 2026

On the last day the museum is open for the 2026 fiscal year, we will hold the “Ubusuna House Harvest Festival 2025.” Enjoy all-you-can-eat portions of delicious, freshly cooked new-crop rice harvested from the Rice Fields of the Higashi-Shimogumi village!

See all events

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