The Yatsugatake and Southern Alps area is home to many artists, as well as a number of art museums and galleries. In this magnificent landscape, you will find various museums, dotting the area. Let’s take a look at the activities of people loving art and how it makes their heart beat.

“Artrip” – Traveling through Art

“What sound do you hear?” “What scent do you smell?” In front of a large painting, the art conductor asks these questions. She nods at the responses from each participant and shares them with the rest of the group, saying, “He said ‘a gentle sound’” or “She just shared with us her memory of flower fragrance”.
This is one of the interactive art appreciation programs held at Hirayama Ikuo Silk Road Museum in Hokuto-city. The participants are local residents diagnosed with dementia and their carers; they spent about 20 minutes to appreciating a piece of art. Although baffled at first, their faces started to glow with the joy of appreciating the painting and sharing their thoughts with others. “I never knew my father was such an expressive person”, it was a time of discovery for escorting family members as well.

What is “Artrip”?

It started as an initiative for people with dementia at the Museum of Modern Arts (MoMA) in New York. It is thought that stimulating awareness through talking about a painting without knowing anything about it has a positive effect on dementia. The concept was introduced in Japan as “Artrip - traveling through Art”. The program is organized by the Care Support Division, Citizen Department of Hokuto-city. This was the first event organized by a Japanese local government.