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

Summary

The Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum is hosting “Summer Mystery-Solving Field Museum Notebook,” a walking program designed to let visitors enjoy the summer satoyama. At various points throughout the Field Museum, you’ll find “questions” related to nature, wildlife, agriculture, local culture, and art.

“Why are there so many frogs in Matsudai?”
“Why was this artwork created here?”


Take in the scenery and explore the artworks on foot as you search for the answers. Stamps are available at each location, and by scanning the QR code in the field notebook provided, you can read detailed explanations about the nature and way of life in the satoyama.


By walking through the Field Museum while experiencing the local landscape and the lives of the people alongside the artworks, you can discover a new way to enjoy the Field Museum. Why not make your own discoveries as you stroll through the summer satoyama? We have a special gift for those who collect three or more stamps.

Event Overview

■Dates:
July 18 (Sat) – September 30 (Wed), 2026 (Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except on national holidays) 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

■Location:
Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum

■Reception & Postcard Pickup:
Reception Desk, 2nd Floor, 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)

■How to Participate
Visitors who purchase or present one of the above tickets will receive the “Summer Mystery-Solving Field Museum Notebook” at the reception.

■Reservation
Not required

Photo by Nakamura Osamu


Main Stops

Matsudai NOHBUTAI

A building designed by the Dutch architectural firm MVRDV that appears to float in the air. The pilotis feature Ilya&Emilia Kabakov’s *The Rice Fields*, while the interior houses Kawaguchi Tatsuo’s *Relationship—Classroom with a Blackboard* and other works.

Photo by Nakamura Osamu

Matsudai History Museum

This museum is housed in a 150-year-old traditional Japanese farmhouse that has been relocated here. Visitors can see the thick pillars, irori hearths, and earthen floors that have long supported daily life in this snowy region. The museum is also currently hosting an exhibition titled “Matsudai History Museum – Shiryo-Kan” by Obana Kenichi. See if you can spot the hidden yokai!

Photo by Kanemoto Rintaro

*The Monument of Tolerance* by Ilya&Emilia Kabakov

This monument was created with the hope that people around the world would join hands and walk together. Inside the exhibition space, concept sketches for *The Arch of Life*—also by Ilya&Emilia Kabakov—are on display; viewing them alongside the monument will allow you to gain a deeper appreciation of the artists’ artwork world.

Photo by Nakamura Osamu

Matsudai Castle

“Matsudai Castle” is said to have once been used by Uesugi Kenshin as an outpost of Kasugayama Castle. Currently, three artworks are on display here: Esther Stocker’s *”Perspectives of Longing”*, Toyofuku Ryo’s *”Laxudai”*, and Kurakake Junichi + a group of students from the Sculpture Course at Nihon University College of Art *”Shedding Time”*. We hope you enjoy both the history and the art.

Photo by Kanemoto Rintaro

Photo by Kioku Keizo

Photo by Kioku Keizo


▼Events Currently Taking Place

Tetsuro Kano: Infinite and Finite Stacks / Flexible Stacking


▼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 Junior High School Students 600 yen; or Indivisual Ticket (valid for the Matsudai History Museum as well): Adults 600 yen, Elementary and Junior High School Students 300 yen

Summary

Date and time July 18, 2026 (Sat) – September 30, 2026 (Wed); Closed 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 Events

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