Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale

The Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale (ETAT) is one of the largest art festivals in the world as well as the pioneer of regional art festivals taking place across Japan. It has provided an alternative way to explore satoyama following artworks as guidling lights which has received a great attention both within and outside Japan as a leading practice of community building by art.

It is presented at the Echigo-Tsumari region in Niigata (called the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field) one of the regions in Japan known for heavy snowfall in winter where ageing and depopulation are rapidly advancing. The region is still filled with “satoyama” life where people engage with land through agriculture and artworks are installed in nature throughout the year.

The ETAT has been held once every three years since 2000. The 8th edition is being held in 2022 after a one-year postponement due to the Corona Disaster. The 2018 ETAT attracted approximatley 540,000 visitors, bringing economic effect and contributing to expansion of employments and tourism.

In addition to the approximately 200 artworks to visit, seasonal exhibitions, events and guided tours are organised throughout the year while some of the artworks and closed schools are open as restaurants, cafes and accommodations. The ETAT aims to reveal existing assets of the region using art as a catalyst, rediscover their values, communicate these to the world and find a way to revitalise the region.