AMABIKI 2025 commenced on September 21, the summer heat still lingering in the air. It drew to a close on November 23, following the solar term known as Minor Snow in the traditional lunisolar calendar. Amid all the clamor about climate change, looking back, I recall two months of abrupt transition from summer to early winter: eagerly awaiting cool, sunny autumn days, only to find myself shivering in the morning frost before I knew it. Even with such extreme weather conditions, the days brought a tangible sense of nature’s resilient transformation: the once-lush green leaves turned crimson and gold, and the short buckwheat shoots grew tall, bloomed, and offered up their seeds, ready for harvest.

I believe the artists themselves were able to fully appreciate the dialogue between their works and nature, the shifting atmosphere, and the relationships between their creations and the landscapes in which they were installed. We also warmly welcomed a large number of visitors and heard many words of praise from them. We take pride in the conviction that the exhibition allowed every single attendee to thoroughly enjoy themselves.

The bus tours, which were canceled last time due to lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and transformed into an artist talk, made its comeback this year. It proved highly successful, and reservations filled up quickly.

We also held workshops for the frst time since 2015, which were enjoyed by children and their parents both within and outside the city. Seeing so many children gathered together, absorbed in their woodworking projects, was truly heartwarming. It’s rare to see something like this happening outside of the environs of a school or daycare.

Sakuragawa was designated as a depopulated area in 2022. This is happening in regional cities all across Japan; as the national birthrate continues to decline, elementary and junior high schools are being consolidated and closed. I keenly sense how the increase in vacant houses is inversely proportional to our decreasing opportunities to see children’s faces in wonder and play.

For a more intimate experience of my work, I was given the opportunity to display my piece in the garden of a vacant house. The main building, long uninhabited, has deteriorated to the point where it would be difficult to restore it, yet the trees in the garden continue to live on, blooming each year and scattering their fallen leaves. Standing in the garden, you feel as though the daily lives of those who once lived here are resurrected.

I recall reading this in a local publication some time ago, but these words of a local junior high student have stayed with me: “Sakuragawa City is a waste.” When you think more about these words, the underlying message is that it’s too good to waste—in other words, something we value. The rich natural beauty and stunning views of the Tsukuba mountain range, an environment where children can grow up freely and safely, and the deep-rooted culture of this land… there is surely still much we can do to transform these feelings of “waste” into “a source of pride.”

For 30 years through these sculpture exhibitions, we have been involved with this special place where people have built their lives and a history has been formed. It is my sincere hope that, within this history, AMABIKI will be engraved more deeply in the hearts of the children who are growing up here and the adults who were born and raised in this region, as one of our important cultural elements.
What can AMABIKI achieve now, through the medium of a sculpture exhibition, as a source of pride for the people of this land, and ultimately as a hub driving artistic and cultural expression? I hope we’ll approach this question with sincerity and dedication, with the aim of bringing future activities to life.

AMABIKI Exhibition Executive Committee
KOBINATA Chiaki, Participating Artist

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まだ暑さの残る9月21日、「雨引の里と彫刻2025」は始まり、二十四節気でいうところの小雪を過ぎた11月23日に幕を閉じました。気候変動が叫ばれる中、振り返れば、冷涼でうららかな秋の日を待ち望み、気づけば朝には霜が下り寒さに震える、夏から初冬への急転直下の２か月であったと思い返されます。そんな極端ともいえる気候の中でも、青々としていた木々の葉は赤や黄色に色づき、丈の短かった蕎麦の芽は成長して花を咲かせ、実を蓄えて収穫時期を迎えたように、自然はたくましく移り変わっていくということを実感する日々でもありました。

作家自身もそれぞれが風景の中に作品を置くことで、作品と自然との対話や移り行く気配と自らの作品との相関性を堪能することができたと思います。また、観覧者数も多く、お褒めの言葉も多数頂戴し、来場してくださった観客の皆様にも十分に楽しんでいただける展覧会になったのではないかと自負しております。

今回は、前回コロナ渦の名残で断念しアーティストトークへと形を変えたバスツアーイベントも復活し、早々に予約が満員となるなど盛況を博しました。

また、2015年以来久しぶりにワークショップも開催し、市内外の子どもたちと保護者の皆様に楽しんでいただくことができました。大勢の子どもたちが一堂に会し夢中で木工作に勤しむ姿は大変ほほえましくもあり、感動的ですらありました。しかしそれは裏を返せば、普段学校やこども園の外ではあまり目にする機会がない光景だったということもあるかもしれません。

桜川市は2022年に過疎地に指定されました。日本中の地方都市で起きていることですが、少子化も進み小中学校も統廃合が行われています。そして子どもたちの無邪気な姿を見る機会が減るのと反比例するように空き家が増えていることをまざまざと感じます。

私事ではありますが、今回、空き家となっている家屋の庭に作品を展示させていただきました。人が住まなくなって久しい母屋は老朽化が進み、再生は難しい状態ですが庭の木々は毎年花を咲かせ、落ち葉を散らし、生き続けています。庭に佇めばそこに暮らした人々の日々の営みが蘇ってくるような感覚を覚えます。

以前、確か市の発行物で読んだと記憶していますが「桜川市はもったいない」という市内の中学生の言葉が心に残っています。「もったいない」ということは、それだけ大切に思っていることがあるということです。豊かな自然と筑波連峰を望む美しい風景、のびのびと安全に暮らせる環境、そして文化の根付いたこの地を、「もったいない」から「誇らしく思う」に言い換えてもらうために、我々大人たちができることはまだまだあるのではないでしょうか。

私たちが彫刻展を通し30年間携わってきたこの地には絶えず人々の暮らしがあり、築いてきた歴史があります。その歴史の中に「雨引の里と彫刻」も一つの文化的要素として、これから成長していく子どもたち、またこの地で生まれ育った大人たちの心により一層深く刻まれていくことを願ってやみません。

彫刻展という表現形態を通し、この地の人々の誇りの一つとして、引いては芸術文化を牽引する発信基地として、今、「雨引の里と彫刻」ができることは何か。再考し、検討を重ね、今後の活動をより活性化していけるよう、誠心誠意取り組んでいこうと思っております。

雨引の里と彫刻実行委員会
小日向千秋　参加作家

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The city of Sakuragawa is located in the midwestern part of Ibaraki Prefecture, within 70-80 km of Tokyo. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, the beauty of the city’s 550,000 wild cherry trees in full bloom in spring have earned it mention in the expression “Yoshino in the west of Japan, Sakuragawa in the east of Japan.” The Sakuragawa River, the city’s namesake, runs north-south through the center of the city, and it is a land that is blessed with a green, natural environment.

The AMABIKI exhibition has been held regularly since 1996; this year marks the 13th time the exhibition has taken place. Over a two-month stretch from September 21 to November 23, magnificent works of art created by 35 artists using a variety of different materials like stone, wood, iron, and fabric were displayed throughout the Abeta, Haneda, Kisaki, Maehara, Nakane, Takaku, and Washijuku districts.

It was a pleasant season for leisurely viewing the pieces, and visitors were able to make the rounds of the sculptures on display while cycling and hiking, experiencing the nature of the countryside and the shifting expressions of the works amid the changing mountain scenery.

This exhibition has established itself as an outdoor event with a certain distinguished rarity for Japan. Spanning 30 years, it has consistently drawn large crowds from both within and outside the city, making it a bustling attraction. We frequently heard visitors say they had been looking forward to attending. The event has also been featured in newspapers, magazines, and electronic media, making it a highly anticipated attraction in Sakuragawa.

Sakuragawa is celebrating its 20th anniversary as an incorporated city this year, and is now positioning this exhibition as one of its commemorative events. By coordinating its timing with the City Cultural Festival and Music Festival, we were able to achieve a synergistic effect that allowed even more people to attend. All of this contributed to making the exhibition a commemorative event for the autumnal season of the arts.

I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the many individuals who were involved to make this event possible. This includes, of course, the participating artists, as well as the landowners who generously provided the exhibition spaces and the local community members who warmly welcomed the artists and our many visitors.

In conclusion, I wish to offer my best wishes for the continued growth of AMABIKI and for the ongoing success of everyone involved.

Mayor of Sakuragawa City
OTSUKA Hideki

The post Greeting from the Mayor first appeared on 雨引の里と彫刻.

桜川市は東京から70 ～ 80㎞圏の茨城県中西部に位置するまちで、三方を山並みに囲まれ、春には55万本もの山桜が咲き誇る美しさから「西の吉野、東の桜川」と称され、市名の由来にもなった「桜川」が市の中央部を南北に流れるなど、緑豊かな自然環境に恵まれた土地です。

「雨引の里と彫刻」は、1996年から定期的に開催され、今回で13回目を迎えました。9月21日から11月23日の2カ月にわたり、阿部田、羽田、木崎、前原、中根、高久、鷲宿地区の各所に35名の作家によって石材や木材、鉄、布など様々な材料を用いて制作された素晴らしい作品が展示されました。

作品をゆったりと鑑賞するのに最適な穏やかなシーズンとなり、サイクリングやハイキングをしながら作品を巡ることで、里山の自然を感じながら、山々の情景の変化にあわせて作品の表情が変わっていく様子も感じられたのではないでしょうか。

この展覧会は、30年にわたり続く全国的にも非常に珍しい野外展覧会として、毎回市内外より多くの方にご来場いただけるとても賑わいのあるイベントとして定着しており、この展覧会を楽しみにしていた来訪者の方のお話を聞くことも多々ございました。今回も新聞や雑誌、電子媒体などのメディアに取り上げられており、桜川市にとって大変期待の大きいイベントとなっております。

また、桜川市では今年で市制施行20周年を迎え、本展覧会を記念事業の一つとして位置付けておりますが、市民文化祭や音楽祭などの開催と時期を合わせることで、イベント同士の相乗効果により、より多くの方々にご観覧いただき、芸術の秋の記念事業にふさわしいイベントとすることができました。

開催に際しまして、作家の皆様はもちろんのこと、展示場所を快く提供してくださった地権者の方々、作家やたくさんの来場者を温かく迎えてくださいました地元の皆様など、大変多くの方々のご理解、ご協力に対しまして深く感謝申し上げます。

結びに、「雨引の里と彫刻」のますますのご発展と、関係者並びに皆様方のさらなるご活躍をご祈念申し上げ、あいさつとさせていただきます。

桜川市長
大塚秀喜

The post 市長からのごあいさつ first appeared on 雨引の里と彫刻.

Mon. September 21th – Sun. November 23th. 2025

Organizer/Exective Committee of Amabiki Village and Sculpture
Place/Sakuragawa, Ibaraki, JAPAN

The post AMABIKI 2025 first appeared on 雨引の里と彫刻.

2025年9月21日（日）〜 11月23日（日）

主催：雨引の里と彫刻 実行委員会
共催：桜川市（桜川市市政施行20周年記念事業）、桜川市教育委員会
助成：
芸術文化振興基金助成事業、公益財団法人 野村財団、公益財団法人 朝日新聞文化財団、一般社団法人 日本美術家連盟
後援:
茨城県、茨城県教育委員会、株式会社 茨城新聞社、NHK水戸放送局、公益財団法人 常陽藝文センター

〈 新参加作家 〉
小笠原 森
柴田 直起
Who

参加作家：臼井英之、大栗克博、大槻孝之、大和田詠美、岡孝博、岡本敦生、小笠原森、海崎三郎、小日向千秋、齋藤徹、サクサベウシオ、佐藤晃、塩谷良太、志賀政夫、柴田 直起、島田忠幸、菅原二郎、鈴木典生、ゼレナクシャンドル、瀬川怜、高梨裕理、津田大介、戸田裕介、西成田洋子、平井一嘉、加藤舞、松田文平、村井進吾、望月久也、八十島海斗、山﨑隆、山添潤、山本憲一、渡辺治美、Who（35名）
写真：斎藤さだむ、竹内慎

・イベント

バスツアー
・日時 2025年10月12日(日)、2025年11月9日(日)　10:00 – 16:00

ワークショップ
『雨引の里と彫刻 2025』出品作家 小笠原森による木工遊びワークショップ
・ 日時 10月26日(日)  午前の部 10時〜12時半／午後の部13時半〜16時

木工遊びワークショップ_PDFファイル

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藤井匡

The post 藤井匡氏 あいさつ first appeared on 雨引の里と彫刻.

A 30-year continuity is quite rare in the history of outdoor sculpture exhibitions. Excluding Ube City in Yamaguchi Prefecture, which began in 1961 and was recognized by Guinness World Records in 2024, the sculpture exhibition in Kobe City, which began in 1968, ended in 1998 after reaching its 30th anniversary. The Hakone Open-Air Museum exhibition, which began in 1969, later switched venues to the Utsukushi-ga-hara Open-Air Museum, but ended in 1995, 26 years after its inception. The outdoor cement sculpture exhibition, initiated in 1951 by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government with sponsorship from Onoda Cement, concluded in 1973, so it did not quite reach the 30-year mark. I believe the historical significance of the AMABIKI exhibition can be understood when viewed in this light.

Of course, if we include indoor exhibitions, there are many that have been running even longer. What this means is that keeping outdoor exhibitions running presents more challenges. This is largely because they reflect the political and economic trends of the time. During the late 80s, when Japan was booming and government tax revenue was robust, many cities held outdoor sculpture exhibitions under the banner of “sculpture-based community development.” However, this trend came to an end in the early 90s. The period in which the AMABIKI exhibition has taken place largely coincides with Japan’s so-called “lost 30 years” of economic stagnation. These circumstances are quite different from the other outdoor sculpture exhibitions I mentioned, which began during the postwar economic growth period of the 1950s and 60s, so the significance of AMABIKI having successfully continued for thirty years is even more profound. AMABIKI can be considered the first sculpture exhibition that has followed the unique “sculpture-based community development” initiative.

Let’s consider the climate of the mid-90s when this exhibition began. Around this time, the phrase “public art” had become common place in Japan, which can be attributed to movements related to urban redevelopment. This made it necessary to promote the “vibrancy” of an exhibition. This is very much in contrast to previous outdoor sculpture exhibitions, where parks served as the main venues and “serenity” and “enrichment” were the key words used. AMABIKI differs in both of these respects, which also contributes to its uniqueness.

Let’s broaden our perspective and think about this a little more. The 1990s marked the end of the Cold War, and the world became unified under global capitalism. In the art world, a parallel trend that emerged was the rapid proliferation of international exhibitions known as biennials and triennials. Public art in Japan was also part of that movement. As international star artists tour the world, they are compelled to prove that their works in each city possess a certain inherent value. In doing so, it was often argued that the unique character of the host city’s venue itself guaranteed the work’s inherent value.

It was during these times that the AMABIKI exhibition was conceived. Of course, in this exhibition too, each sculptor has chosen their installation site with great care, but there is no need them to justify why they picked it. The more valuable aspect is how the sculpture itself appears to the viewer.

This ability to think in terms of individual works stems from the fact that this exhibition has been organized under the leadership of sculptors themselves. Artist-led outdoor exhibitions were not uncommon, and were practiced in various forms in Japan in the latter half of the 20th century. However, they didn’t survive very long. So, what has made the longevity of the AMABIKI exhibition possible? I personally attribute it to the “spirit of the sculpture symposium.”

A sculpture symposium is a project where multiple sculptors share accommodations while creating works of art in the same place. While there are no inherent restrictions on materials, stone is often used due to considerations of both the production location and available equipment. This was the case both when symposia began in Austria in 1959 and when the first one took place in Japan in 1963. The AMABIKI exhibition is not a symposium, but given that this region is a source of white granite, many stone carvers take part in it.

This sculpture symposium was one of many held during the “sculpturebased community development” movement in the 1980s, but that movement largely came to an end in the 90s. However, this spirit has lived on in different forms: what’s important is that it has continued under the leadership of sculptors, and developed through the broad network of sculptors themselves. In other words, this spirit lies in sculptors supporting one another in their work and gaining mutual understanding through a process of discourse and exchange. I believe that this spirit has been the greatest factor sustaining this exhibition. In this sense, I believe we can consider AMABIKI a form of exhibition succeeding from sculpture-based community development.

Having said this, it would be difficult for this spirit to endure if it remained confined only to sculptors. In reality, the sculptors participating in the exhibition have continued to share that spirit with local residents through negotiations about the installation of their pieces.

The exhibition opens today. Throughout the AMABIKI’s run, I hope that this spirit of sharing with both local residents and visitors from outside the city will continue. I greatly look forward to seeing that happening.

Art Critic & Professor at Tokyo Zokei University
FUJII Tadasu

*This text is a transcription of the congratulatory speech given by Mr. FUJII Tadasu, guest speaker at the opening reception of AMABIKI 2025 (Sakuragawa’s 20th Anniversary of Incorporation as a City), which took place at 3:00 on September 21, 2025 in the first-floor hall of the Yamato Fureai Center, Citrus, in Sakuragawa City, Ibaraki Prefecture.

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Soil
1,050×850×120(h) cm

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Bamboo, Rebar, Mixed Media
300×450×380(h) cm

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Marble
300×150×65(h) cm

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Camphor Tree
300×350×280(h) cm

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Black Granite
77×77×95(h) cm
56.5×410×17(h) cm

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Steel
180×110×120(h) cm

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White Granite
210×190×245(h) cm

The post Folds in the Air XI first appeared on 雨引の里と彫刻.

COR-TEN
330×100×200(h) cm

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Boulder Basalt
160×150×85(h) cm
30×35×78(h) cm

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Camphor
220×185×165(h) cm

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Aluminum, Steel
170×270㎠

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Stone, Wood
49×256×65(h) cm
40×247×48(h) cm

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Ceramics
224×128×158(h) cm

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Plywood, Cloth, Paint
290×290×155(h) cm

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White Granite
105×80×920(h) cm
75×65×42(h) cm

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Steel, Gray Granite
40×30×70(h) cm

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Marble
185×53×24(h) cm
90×75×117(h) cm
185×50×53(h) cm

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Granite, Kansuiseki, Cement
135×110×110(h) cm

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Old Clothes, Shoes, Wood, etc
56×81×164(h) cm

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Cloth, Wire, Stainless Steel, Others
125×122×230(h) cm

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Marble
73×230×72(h) cm

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Red Granite
140×110×55(h) cm
45×33×100(h) cm

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Fir tree, Lead
135×122×228(h) cm

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Ceramics
176×95×239(h) cm

The post Revolving Door first appeared on 雨引の里と彫刻.

Stainless Steel, Cedar Pillar Lumber, Paint, and Others
210×294×400(h) cm

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White Granite, Soil
800×300×360(h) cm

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Steel
43×51×273(h) cm

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Steel Wire, Lacquer
248×140×140(h) cm

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Steel
370×200×205(h) cm

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RAIL (100K)
1,200×140×15(h) cm

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Water, Hemp Yarn, Aluminum, Fog Pump, and Synchronous Motor
118×118×118(h) cm

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Steel
1,020×92×56.5(h) cm

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Black Granite
167×143×90(h) cm

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White Granite
450×19×19(h) cm
90×90×13(h) cm

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Natural Stone, Scaffold Pipe
1,200×1,200×20(h) cm

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