Imagine a mysterious forest where you’re surrounded by nature: hills, lakes, waterfalls, and boulders. Now illuminate it with a parade of light projections, calligraphy, and floating lanterns. Welcome to TeamLab’s annual outdoor exhibition, taking place this year in Kyushu.
A Forest Where Gods Live is an immersive art experience taking place from July 22 to November 8. The premise is much like TeamLab’s popular Planets and Borderless attractions, but this time it’s all outdoors in the gorgeous landscape of Mifuneyama Rakuen Garden. With over twenty artworks on display in a natural setting, this exhibition is sure to delight everyone.
Mifuneyama Rakuen Garden was finished in 1845 in Saga Prefecture and is today a Registered Monument in Japan. It covers over 500,000 square meters and the mountain behind the garden creates a stunning backdrop for the cultivated gardens.
The forest, rocks, and caves of the garden create the perfect space for natural art to meet manmade art. The ongoing balance of these two opposing features now are brought to the front of your mind when you wander through the space TeamLab has created inside the garden. Discover how artificial can blend with nature to create a new wonder of beauty.
As you explore this newly transformed garden, you’ll be caught spellbound by the colorful surface of the lake illuminated with lines of color and motion or a boulder blossoming to life with flowers. Resonate with the floating lamps that react to sound and movement and stroll through a lit-up valley of azalea bushes.
Every nook and cranny of the garden has become a living masterpiece of technology united with the natural shapes and creations of the garden; even in the tea room, you can watch flowers of light bloom inside your teacup as small fish swim across the tabletop.
What gods are waiting for you to find them?
Getting there
A 5-minute taxi ride from Takeo-Onsen Station on the Sasebo Line.
More info
Find out more about Mifuneyama Rakuen.
Serena Ogawa @serena.ogawa
Associate Editor for Japan Travel.
