January 31

Tags

New “Digitized Lakeside and Forest” Outdoor Art Installation!

Posted by on January 31, 2019 in Awesome Stuff To Do, Beyond Tokyo, Just...Beautiful | 10 Comments

If ogling giant resonating eggs and gawking at color-changing trees isn’t what you’re planning to do this weekend, cancel your plans and get thee out to Hanno to see this new digital art installation instead! It meanders halfway around the small lake in the Metsa Village recreation area, and it’s everything glow-in-the-dark entertainment should be.

The first part features these resonating spheres, which are tethered on short leashes so they bounce around in the breeze. If you touch them, they change color

As you make your way around the shoreline, you can see the delights ahead reflecting in the water

As you draw near, the reflections are amazing…

…and changing faster than you can click the shutter

Once you get into the forest, the path is lit by the eggs and trees, in a kaleidoscope of changing hues influenced by visitors walking among them. The natural forms of the trees and bamboo become intricate designs in the dark

As you make your way along the path, you catch a glimpse of these ovoids through the bamboo, floating in the water and sort of, uh, “breathing”…

A short flight of steps brings you right up to the water’s edge, where you can watch them resonate in a symphony of colors

I would probably still be standing there, mesmerized by the glow…

…except it was Chilly McChillface out there, so despite the nearly unbearable urge to take just one more photo, I eventually had to move on

But was rewarded for reaching the end of the path by this installation of many many resonating eggs

Here’s a little walk through the ultimate eggy part:

“Digitized Lakeside and Forest” was put together by (you guessed it) TeamLab, but this one is a temporary installation, which is why you need to get your butt on a train soon. It’s only on until March 3, 2018. Miyazawa Lake is in Metsa Village, which is outside of Hanno, a 50-minute express train ride from Ikebukuro Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line. From Hanno Station, there are regular buses ferrying people back and forth to Metsa Village.

Open: Every day until March 3, 2019

Hours: 18:00 – 21:00

Admission: ¥1000 on weekdays, ¥1200 on weekends and holidays

No need to buy tickets in advance – you can get them from the ticket machines near the entrance when you get there. There’s a nice selection of indoor and outdoor food and drink places at the entrance/exit, including coffee, beer & wine.

Here’s a map of the installation:

As you can see, it’s a nice little hike. The trail is unpaved, so wear comfy walking shoes and dress warmly.

•

After strolling among the psychadelic trees, Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Tokyo

The #1 hostboy at Club Nova makes a handsome living, whispering sweet nothings in the ears of women who pay him a fortune for the privilege. But the party’s over when Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura is assigned to investigate the death of…read more