Tatsuno is a charming castle town in the southwestern part of Hyōgo Prefecture, historically referred to as the ‘little Kyoto of the Harima province’. It enjoys a gentle stable climate throughout the year, owing to its situation in the Setouchi climate zone. The popularity of its Old Town district, surrounded by the Matoba and Keiro Mountains and the Ibo River, has been growing due to its abundance of historic architecture and the atmosphere of its streets and lanes, reminiscent of the olden times.

The aim of the Tatsuno Art Project, organized annually since 2011, is to attract a greater number of visitors to the town by involving them in active communication with the residents, and also to disseminate outstanding works of art, both Japanese and foreign. The initiative is also meant to maximize the accessibility of Tatsuno’s cultural resources, to prevent them from being merely ‘stored’ in the city.

In the years 2011–2013 the Tatsuno Art Project’s motto was ‘Art and Memories’, and in 2014 it was held as the Polish-Japanese Art Festival ‘Flow’. In 2015 it was Tatsuno Art Project in Paris ‘Time Memory’, in 2016 Tatsuno Art Project ‘Resonance of Time and Space’, in 2017 Tatsuno Art Project in Paris and ‘Tatsuno Art Sketch’. Throughout these years, we have held fine art shows with the participation of a number of Polish artists. We tirelessly continue to take up new challenges: combining various art forms, for example opera, concerts, and  performance art; our project draws on the character of the place rather than merely exhibits works of contemporary fine arts. We also hold workshops for local residents. This consistency in what we do makes our projects more conspicuous and noticeable.

This time we are preparing a Tatsuno Art Project in Krakow, creating a direct link between the old city of Krakow and the town of Tatsuno. We are going to showcase the achievements of the Tatsuno Art Project, which is about to celebrate its eighth addition, and at the same time strengthen the bond between Japan and Poland with a view to an ever more intensive exchange between our nations through art and culture.

We would like to express our gratitude to the artists and performers who have taken part in this project, the Japan World Exposition 1970 Commemorative Fund for their subsidy, as well as other institutions and individuals who have given us various forms of support and assistance.

Tatsuno Art Project Representative
Yoshiaki Asai
Artistic Director, Tatsuno Art Project
Akiko Kasuya