Following our stay at James Turrell’s House of Light, our friends Kanako and Katsuya brought us to the Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel located in the Joshin’etsu Kogen National Park, Niigata. The Kiyotsu Gorge is one of 3 biggest valleys in Japan. The tunnel itself was built in 1996 but MAD Architects were brought in to renovate the tunnel in 2018 for the Echigo-Tsumari Triennale. The tunnel and viewing platforms seek to connect visitors to nature through varying elemental themes: wood, earth, metal, fire, and water.
Wood: “Periscope”
Welcome center/Cafe/Gift Shop located before the entrance to the tunnel. It was nice to be able to relax our feet in the upstairs foot bath. It provided a cozy feeling from the cold of the outside with glimpses of the river reflected on the roof.
Earth: “Expression of Color”
I found it fun to walk through the tunnel and having the lights change in color and mood. There were some areas with images or other markings on the wall, which may or may not have been finished, as well as an area with a pipe that seemed to emit some sort of music. We couldn’t quite figure out the meaning behind it other than to have points to entertain with.
Metal: “Invisible Bubble”
The photo is actually a reflection of the gorge coming from these domed structures that actually were restrooms! It was very futuristic and unnerving: inside the restroom, you had full view of everything outside (all the while hoping that you really couldn’t see what was happening inside). When we first came to this platform, we didn’t immediately know what it was or it’s purpose. And of course being in Japan, for being a public toilet it was very clean 😉
Fire: “The Drop”
Meant to look like ‘dew drops’, these reflective mirrors were a fun segway before getting to the viewing platform to the gorge. It was strange seeing nature and my immediate surroundings being echoed and a bit warped within each mirror, before making my way to the “reality” of what was in front of me. It felt very alien to me and keenly man-made, which allowed me to appreciate the simple beauty of the river and the trees and rocks.
Water: “Light Cave”
The pièce de résistance, was the ‘Light Cave’ which didn’t fail to impress. Visitors are able to walk through the water, although very few did as it was quite cold. I think in summer this piece would be an amazing sensory experience (and another refresher for the end like the foot bath in the beginning). I found it very poetic how the beauty of nature before you is reflected back into the steel and man-made interventions. It was definitely a unique expression of solitude within the mirrored reflections, domes, and pools ❁
LITTLE wagamama 