Curated Field Trip – Ichikawamisato Creative Tourism
Introduction
The Curated Field Trip Project is a cultural exchange initiative designed to connect international creatives with the residents of Ichikawamisato, a small town in Japan’s Yamanashi Prefecture. Over several years, the project has fostered relationships between artists, students, and townspeople, while highlighting the challenges faced by rural communities—particularly population decline.
Through hands-on workshops, shared meals, and artistic collaborations, each field trip has created a space where both international visitors and local participants learn from one another. These trips not only enrich the lives of the town’s residents but also expand the perspectives of visiting artists, children, and families.
At the heart of the project is KUU House, a traditional guesthouse run by a family deeply rooted in the community. KUU House serves as a cultural hub where artists and guests stay, eat hand-foraged meals, and immerse themselves in the rhythms of rural Japanese life.
Past Curated Field Trips
Field Trip 1 – Spring 2019
Collaborators: Japanese artist, American artist, Chinese oceanographer.
Activity: Shared underwater whale photography with the 10 remaining schoolchildren. The artists and children created a collaborative mural depicting the whale, its baby, and imagined aquatic life.
Outcome: The finished artwork now hangs in the school’s main hallway, serving as a lasting reminder of creative exchange.
Field Trip 2 – December 2019
Collaborators: Two U.S. artists and one artist from Nagoya.
Activity: Conducted mural-painting workshops in the school gymnasium where students rotated between techniques taught by each artist.
Cultural Exchange: Artists learned about the town’s fireworks tradition and crafted Hankyo stamps.
Outcome: The children gained new skills in visual expression while artists experienced Ichikawamisato’s cultural heritage.
Field Trip 3 – 2023
Participants: My two teenage daughters.
Activity: Cultural immersion through traditional crafts—making washi paper and bookbinding at one of Japan’s oldest paper factories, udon noodle-making with an 89-year-old farmer, and visits to shrines and historic structures.
Outcome: A transformative cross-cultural experience that broadened their perspectives and strengthened ties to Ichikawamisato.
Photos of previous field trips. Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3
The Next Field Trip: Ichikawamisato Creative Tourism
For the next phase of the project, I propose an innovative collaboration between the 9 current students at the village school, local leadership, and visiting artists. Together, we will design an advertising campaign to promote Ichikawamisato as a creative tourism destination.
Concept:
Students will identify elements of their community—local traditions, crafts, foods, and natural beauty—that they believe best represent Ichikawamisato.
With guidance from myself and a visiting artist, they will use illustration, animation, and new digital tools to create a series of advertisements.
The final campaign will be shared with travel bureaus and cultural networks in Japan, directly benefiting the town through increased visibility and tourism.
Benefits:
For the community: A locally made campaign that highlights its unique culture, products, and traditions, attracting much-needed tourism.
For the students: Hands-on training with digital and creative technology, collaboration with professional artists, and the opportunity to contribute to the future of their town.
For the artists: A deep cultural exchange rooted in learning about Ichikawamisato’s crafts, foods, and history.
For the broader project: A sustainable model for creative tourism that empowers youth to become ambassadors of their own communities.
Proposed Content:
The completed advertising campaign created by students.
Documentation of students discovering and applying new technologies.
Interaction between students and artists, captured through photography and film.
Stories of artists learning about local traditions, crafts, and foodways.
Community Support
The local school, the mayor of Ichikawamisato, and the KUU House family are all enthusiastic about this proposal. Their support ensures access, hospitality, and deep community integration for the project’s success.
Conclusion
The Curated Field Trip has already proven its ability to foster meaningful cultural exchanges, support rural vitality, and expand the worldview of both students and artists. This next step—Ichikawamisato Creative Tourism—builds upon that foundation by equipping local youth with creative tools to imagine, express, and promote their community to the world.
This project represents not just an exchange, but a sustainable investment in the identity and future of Ichikawamisato.
Project is scheduled for spring of 2026
Proposed budget: $25,000.00