Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum (collective term for multiple facilities and artworks)

MVRDV, “Matsudai NOHBUTAI” Photo by Nakamura Osamu
Kusama Yayoi, “Tsumari in Bloom” Photo by Nakamura Osamu
Kawaguchi Tatsuo, “Relationships—A Classroom with a Blackboard” (Educational Space). Photo by Nakamura Osamu
Ilya&Emilia Kabakov, “The Rice Fields,” Photo by Nakamura Osamu
Pascal Martin Tayou, “Reverse City” Photo by Miyamoto Takenori + Seno Hiromi
Toyofuku Ryo, “Laxudai,” Photo by Kioku Keizo
Shirai Mio, “Restaurant Gives Orders” Photo by Nakamura Osamu
Jean-Luc Vilmoot, “Café Reflet” Photo by Yanagi Ayumi
Esther Stocker, “Perspectives of Longing,” Photo: Kioku Keizo
Matsudai Castle
Ilya&Emilia Kabakov, “The Monument of Tolerance,” Photo by Nakamura Osamu
Tobias Rehberger, “Fichte (Japanese Cypress)” Photo by ANZA ï
Fabrice Hybert, “Autour du Feu, Dans le Desert” Photo by ANZA ï
Ilya&Emilia Kabakov, “The Arch of Life,” photo by Nakamura Osamu
Matsudai History Museum

Facility Info and Map


The Matsudai “NOHBUTAI,” a hub facility designed by the Dutch architectural firm MVRDV. Approximately 40 artworks are scattered across the roughly 2-kilometer stretch of satoyama landscape from the Matsudai “NOHBUTAI” to Matsudai Castle at the mountaintop; this entire area is known as the “Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum.”

As you explore the artworks, you’ll encounter the numerous Rice Fields (fields built on sloping mountainous terrain), “sekae-ta” (fields created by diverting river currents), and the natural beauty of the satoyama landscape that characterize the Matsudai region, allowing you to experience over 1,000 years of snow country farming culture.In addition to viewing artwork by world-renowned artists, visitors can catch glimpses of local residents living and working in the rice fields. Numerous programs are held throughout the year—such as rice planting in spring, rice harvesting in fall, and snow play in winter—allowing visitors to experience the region’s natural culture firsthand. At the on-site cafeteria, visitors can enjoy dishes made with local ingredients, making this an area where you can fully savor “art,” “food,” and “agriculture.”

Photo by Nakamura Osamu


The Area Where You Can Best Experience Satoyama and Art

The area is dotted with artworks by world-renowned artists, including Ilya&Emilia Kabakov’s “The Rice Fields” and Kusama Yayoi’s “Tsumari in Bloom.” You can enjoy the charm of contemporary art—with its colorful sculptures that stand out against the satoyama landscape—alongside the changing seasons of the satoyama. The walk takes about 1 to 2 hours. You can also explore the area by car.

Ilya&Emilia Kabakov, “The Rice Fields”
Photo by Nakamura Osamu

Kusama Yayoi, “Tsumari in Bloom”
Photo by Nakamura Osamu


The entire space is an artwork

You can view eight of the nine artworks by the world-renowned artists Ilya&Emilia Kabakov—a rare collection in Japan (one artwork is on permanent display at the Museum on Echigo-Tsumari, MonET).Starting with “The Rice Fields” (2000), which has become one of the signature artworks of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field, the outside exhibition features “The Arch of Life” (2015) and “The Monument of Tolerance” (2021), while the indoor exhibition includes “10 Albums, Labyrinth” (2021) and four other artworks.

Ilya&Emilia Kabakov, “The Arch of Life”
Photo by Nakamura Osamu

Ilya&Emilia Kabakov, “10 Albums, Labyrinth”
Photo by Kioku Keizo


Admission Fees for Visitors with a Disability ID Card


Information on the Shuttle Bus to Matsudai Castle

A shuttle bus runs on an as-needed basis between Matsudai NOHBUTAI and the area near Matsudai Castle (about a 10-minute walk). If you wish to use this service, please ask the staff at the Matsudai NOHBUTAI reception desk.
*A Field Museum ticket or a Common Ticket is required to board.

Route: Matsudai NOHBUTAI ⇔ Administration Building
Travel time: About 7 minutes


▼Event Information for Fiscal Year 2026

We host seasonal events at the Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum, which stretches behind the Field Museum, where visitors can directly experience the joy, fascination, and comfort of the satoyama landscape. Along with tours of the artworks scattered throughout Shiroyama, we offer a diverse range of programs unique to Echigo-Tsumari that allow you to discover, learn about, and truly appreciate the richness of the local land.

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

July 18, 2026 (Sat) – September 30, 2026 (Wed); Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except on national holidays
Photo by Nakamura Osamu

Tetsuro Kano: Infinite and Finite Stacks / Flexible Stacking

Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from July 18, 2026 (Sat) through September 27, 2026 (Sun), 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day

[Dates and Times When Artists Will Be Present]
July 26 (Sun), August 9 (Sun), September 21 (Mon, holiday), 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. each day


▼Past Special Exhibitions

Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum in the Snow
January 25 (Sat) – March 9 (Sun), 2025

[Winter 2024] Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum Special Exhibition: “Satoyama Snow Amusement Park 2024” ~Let’s Play and Warm Up in the Snow-Covered Satoyama~
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from January 13, 2024 (Sat) to March 10, 2024 (Sun)

Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum Special Exhibition: “Satoyama Snow Amusement Park ~ An Amusement Park Appears for Just a Moment on the White Snowfield⁉~”
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from January 28, 2023 (Sat) to March 12, 2023 (Sun)

“The Monument of Tolerance” and Snow Play Expo
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from January 29, 2022 (Sat) to March 6, 2022 (Sun)

Facility Info and Map

Open hours ▼Matsudai NOHBUTAI
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (Last admission at 4:30 p.m.)

*Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (If there are two or more consecutive public holidays on a Tuesday and Wednesday, the facility will be closed on the following business day instead.)

▼Other Artworks and Facilities
Please check the “Related Sites” below.
Tel 025-595-6180
Admission Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum tickets: Adults 1,200 yen / Elementary and Middle School Students 600 yen; or individual tickets (valid for the Matsudai History Museum as well): Adults 600 yen / Elementary and Middle School Students 300 yen (Common Tickets and ETAT Passports are also available for a limited period.)
Official Website https://matsudai-nohbutai-fieldmuseum.jp/
Address 3743-1 Matsudai, Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture
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