Kawakami’s Artist Community, Takumi no Mura

Takumi no Mura is a planned artists' community on a mountainside in the village of Kawakami, established in 1999 when local planners invited eight artists from across Japan to relocate and work full-time. Residents live in uniform gray-paneled houses with studio space, and the community center serves as a public gallery and workshop venue. A cafe on the second floor serves light meals beside rotating exhibitions of new work, and the gift shop sells ceramics, paintings, and woodworks. The community rents five cottages on a nightly basis to visitors seeking a quiet, mountain retreat.