We Are All Kids: 2025 Laboratory of Forest Art

 

2025 Laboratory of Forest Art started last Sunday, September 28. This annual art exhibition in Yokohama’s forest is, as usual, under the care of the GROUP the Creation and Voice of the Woods. 2025 show until October 26 has a theme: Forest, Art, Children. From this year, the GROUP receives funding from Asahi Ward of the City. Their patron gave them this subject. The artists have fulfilled the request joyfully. Each caption for installation has two panels. One is written with Chinese character, i.e. for adults. Another is written only with Hiragana è for kids. You can choose whichever caption you like. Now, let’s play with the art in their forest! 😊

Map for this year’s show

1. Let’s be a Tower Man! 

ISHIKURO Kazuo

“This year, I made a face-cutout towerman. Please be a Tower Man!” 

The trick of the installation should be easier to understand when you see the below photos.

You step up the ladder, put your head inside the towerman, and take a photo. Voila! You’re tower man! … Of course I did it, and my photo looks like a goblin, or ghost at best, of the forest. Creepy ... A kid before me was cuter. Anyway, please try.

Ishikuro prepares wooden horizontal bar next to the Tower Man. It is low enough for 6-year-old to mimic the Towerman-Sloth above the bar.

2. The Garden with Forest Ship
KANAI Toshikazu

“In this forest it is recommended to thin bamboo leaf oaks in order to let sunlight reach the ground and stimulate the undergrowth. By doing this, biodiversity of the place is promoted. Yes, just cutting down one oak, the dim area gets out to an open space with light. It’s fun after such forestry to meet with new environment and enjoy different vista of the forest. This year, we cut down 8 oaks for creating a space for the ship. Some are straight trees. The others are crooked. All in all, they are tough nuts to crack. One sure thing: improved ventilation. The forest wind has started to fit my body. The place is becoming my garden.”

3. Recycling – Plastic (2024)
CHIKADA Haruna

4. Recycling – Forest (2024)
CHIKADA Haruna

5. When you see a forest, The forest is seeing you
CHIKADA Haruna

“BB bullets were aimed at something. They are scattered all over the forest. What was the original target for them? Did the shooters achieve their wish by discharging them?”

Thinking BB bullet garbage in the forest is a continuous theme for Chikada. This time, she let the kids to think about the microplastic contamination and displayed mirror-like mobile installation that can reflect the forest and human with BB bullet. She said “Yeah, some ‘well-thought’ survival gamers use biodegradable BB bullets. They are VERY expensive and take at least 10 years to be decomposed. Meanwhile, we don’t know what kind of impact the bullets give to the environment. What does the forest think while letting those gamers stamping its ground, I wonder.”

6. Snake Garden (2024)
KANAI Toshikazu

7. In the Cockpit
ASADA

“Please check this QR code for the beginning of this installation.

When everybody thought each of us were a captain of Spaceship Earth, it would be difficult to be irresponsible. We should try seriously to navigate the ship better!”

8. Circling scenery
YOSHIKAWA Youichiro

“Please grab the bar and push to walk round slowly whichever direction as much as you like. What sound you hear? What smell you find? Which colour your eyes recognize? How do your soles touch the ground? You are in the Garden of Monkeygrass. How do your five senses feel the forest?”

9. Garden of Monkeygrass without Owner (2024)
YOSHIKAWA Youichiro

He’s really tending this “garden” for years already. Dwarf lilyturfs are getting larger. Meanwhile I found anticlockwise circling was for me with 2025 installation. The ground was still soft. If many people played with this year’s installation, Yoshikawa-san said the ground would be harder. Let us see.

10. Not without a Trace
KIGA Youko

“Here is a groove between planted trees. Was it a stream? If I can make it sure, I’m very happy.”

11. Dust or Gem (2024)
KIGA Youko

“In some rural communities of Japan, there is a custom called ‘Torikugurazu.’ There, people hang objects of spell at the entrance of their village. They hope it would ward off the evil and welcome good luck to their community. Now in the 21st century, the border is sometimes garnished by high concrete walls that can shut off the vista completely, or with barbed wires that must hurt anybody approaching. I guess no evil or good fortune would come to such boorish and artificial objects.”

12. Bond (Wood connect: 2024)
HARADA Akatsuki

13. Let’s make trees
HARADA Akatsuki

“Adults were kids before. Kids will be adults. Many dreams before. I was curious. I had the things I loved. I had the things I hated. I had the things I wanted to do. You are growing little by little while experience many things and learn a lot. Let’s make growing trees like you. You put in branches in holes of logs, will you?”

The idea of this installation is, you write down whatever dream or wish you have on a waterproof “leaf” the artists prepared on a branch with

these permanent markers in a tapper ware and insert the branch to a log with lots of holes. The sizes of the holes are different. Trial and error are what the artists intended. At the end of the exhibition, he hopes there are several trees with many wishes. Next to this installation, Harada-san prepared

which he called “a bridge made of logs harvested from thinning (due to oak tree wilt). They are stabilized by clamps, i.e., bond.” The bridge is also an installation fun to walk above. If you try them with kids, please hold their hand firmly and support s/he at the side.

In addition to the installations on the map, the staff of the GROUP also presented their own works.

Prayer Wheel by ISHIYAMA Katsuyuki.
Please spin them and pray for …

In the Pergola by ISHIYAMA Katsuyuki and
his students in a facility for handicapped people.

Route Art 2025 by ZAMA Kimihito,
ARAI Maki, and INO Ryoko.

They are showing the direction to the venue
from Satoyama Garden 2025 Fall.

The Group holds Weekend Marche till October 13. They sell second hand goods and small objects created by the artists. The money raised this way will fund their art creation. Participation by shopping is welcome.

Also, the Group plans several events during the exhibition. Some are held in Satoyama Garden Venue. For detail, please check here.

In the open space at the entrance there is a small stage,
 and musical instruments hand-made of bamboos are provided.
You can play with them.

On that stage there was a free-jazz concert
for the opening party featuring
SHODA Jiro and Friends.

2025 the Laboratory of Forest Art is held during September 28 – October 26 in the same forest of the previous years. Since there is no parking, a recommended access to the Forest is by bus. The most convenient transportation is a bus ride to Yokohama Zoorasia, from JR Nakayama 中山 Station, Sotetsu Tsurugamine 鶴ヶ峰 Station, or Sotetsu Mitsukyo 三ツ境 Station. Get off the bus at the North Gate of Zoorasia that is the closest to the art exhibition entrance. (Access to Zoorasia North Gate can be referred from here.) When you leave the terminal stop of Zoorasia North Gate, go back a bit along the bus road, and on your left is the sign for the GROUP. From there enter the forest. The road is a relatively wide walking promenade. Soon you can see a big banner over there saying “the Creation and Voice of the Woods 創造と森の声.”

When you find a problem in the site introduced in this post, the best contact address will be GROUP the Creation and Voice of the Woods.
https://morilab.amebaownd.com/
e-mail: morinokoe7@yahoo.co.jp

The city office which is in charge of this forest is

Zoo Division
動物園課
Yokohama Municipal Government Green Environment Bureau
横浜市みどり創造局

Phone: 045-671-4124
FAX：045-550-4650
email: mk-satoyama-garden@city.yokohama.jp

Moving Zelkova Walk: 2024 Laboratory of Forest Art 2

 

In my previous post for September 29, I showed you this year’s installation by Yoshikawa Youichiro, “Walking companion.” I introduced you tools he provided in the forest. They are

The intention of Yoshikawa-san is using these to walk around his “Lordless Garden” like

A visitor put the wheel before him and
 walked circle around the “Garden.”

Yoshikawa-san secretly invites whoever interested in this year’s exhibition to walk with him “driving” the handheld wheel. Secret? Yep. He did not put the notice in net-sphere. He casually left a pile of cards at the entrance of their forest, inviting anybody who find the card to join him. The itinerary is from JR Nakayama Station to the venue, every day till October 20 (the last day of the show). He waits at the outside of ticket gate of the Station till 13:00 (for 10/20 till 10:00) and walk with us to the Forest Lab via Shikino-mori Forest (my post on June 26, 2020). He carries a wheel bigger than those provided in the forest. It’s made of Japanese zelkova, aka Keyaki 欅 in Japanese. So, he calls his walk “Keyaki’s stroll 欅乃散歩.” The other day, I walked with him to the Forest Lab from Nakayama Station. This week is about my adventure of Keyaki’s stroll 😊

This is Yoshikawa-san’s Keyaki wheel.

I’ve been to ticket gate of JR Nakayama Station. Sure enough, Yoshikawa-san was standing there. He said he always waited till 13:04 when the trains from both directions arrive at Nakayama. We waited a couple of minutes, then started walk. He had an IKEA’s large blue bag with him. Inside was his wheels. But he did not take it out at the station. “I noticed maneuvering the wheel can be intimidating for passers-by. And I’m relatively tall. Naomi, do you know tall guys are always very careful in Japan? If I walk with the wheel in this lively but crowded train station, the situation itself becomes too theatrical. I just want to stroll, not to demonstrate or else.” Oh, is it so? We left Nakayama Station and walked southwest toward Prefectural Road 109 where the promenade to Shikino-mori Forest begins. When we entered the path, he finally brought out the wheels from his IKEA bag, and assembled the doble-wheel.

No, we did not use the wheel for the steps of the train station.

We entered the Promenade to the Park.

Yoshikawa-san opened the bag.

Assembling.

Done!

Yoshikawa-san’s doing it every day during the exhibition. He said the sense of touch was recalled through the vibration of the wheel. He guessed when we were kids, strolling was an adventure of this kind. Now we adults walk to a “defined destination.” Senses of sight and hearing are fully deployed to achieve this goal without accident, like crashing with a car. Senses of smell and touch are not used unless there is an accident along the way, especially such an urban stroll like Nakayama Station to Shikino-mori Forest. Sense of Taste? It should be a rarer occasion when we need this sense to walk as an adult. In contrast, when we were kids all the 5 senses were very busy. We noticed on the ground some sparkling thing (which would turn out to be a chocolate wrapper somebody threw out). We were excited to discover such treasure. Or, we touch the ground that could have different roughness from place to place on a road. Was that sound a chat of grown-up ladies including mammy? What was this smell? A poop of a dog? There were so many wonders in 10m. Now we forgot all. Though, when we walk with the wheels, we naturally concentrate to walk with this tool, and recall the wonders we knew when we were toddles.

He let me experience the wheels. Yeah, the trembling motions coming from the wheels were different according to the condition of the road. An asphalted way and the road of stone paving has definitely different touches. Besides, sometimes I could lose control of the wheels. Naturally, I concentrate on driving them. Yoshikawa-san said, “So, it’s a difficult point. Stroll is something for relaxing movement. But walking with the tool, we can become so attentive at least at the beginning … Now I’m used to walking with the wheels and my body almost automatically adjusts to the variety of the way in the sense of touch. Then, the experience of five senses begins to be enhanced during the walk!”

I’m losing control!

Having said that, once we entered Shikino-mori Forest, very adult requirements ask to join our walk. First, Yoshikawa-san had to say “hello” to the office of Shikino-mori Forest standing at the main entrance. “You know? It’s a prefectural park. I’m a sort of asking permission to do my installation here, although I don’t want to make it a show.” If Yoshikawa-san does it as a performance, the spectator of his act is ready to watch works of an artist as something non-ordinary. No. He just wants to recall the joy of using five senses that were so natural when we were young. It was not at all extraordinary when we were 3 years old, don’t you think? After clearing courtesy ritual at the admin office, when we pass the photo-point for common kingfisher, he carried his wheels on his shoulder, not drove it. “Those photographers with bazooka-sized lens do not want to have noise of wheels. I always shoulder my gadget when I walk through their point.” (My *sigh*.)

Be careful not to disturb these ferocious creatures.

We kept on going southwest, and entered the Hikarigaoka Housing Complex. It’s almost the end of our journey to Forest Lab. The final part within Shikino-mori Forest was along an unpaved trekking road. I found the touch coming from the wheel was softer in trekking roads, though we could be taken the control of the instrument by mud. Once we entered the housing area, it was paved road again till the entrance of the Forest Lab. By then, I’m kind of accustomed to Keyaki’s Stroll. It’s a fun walk. Am I recovering my sense of wonder in daily life?

This part of Shikino-mori Forest is not paved.

Nearly there.

Goal!

After we reached the forest, Yoshikawa-san kindly did a gallery walk for 2024 show. When we reached Yoshikawa-san’s installation, the Lordless Garden, he nudged us to use the wheel provided at the site. I chose one with an iron ball with a flexible handle. It gave me a different touch from the wheels of zelkova. The ball tumbled at the tip of springy metal handle and moved along the circle road. It was like walking with a dog. It was a fun!

I found several installations with new words from the author. Below is what they said.

Are they ascending or descending?

ISHIKURO Kazuo 

A white oak wood ladder stretches up into the sky. There are also some places where it branches out along the way. Is the tower man ascending? Or descending?

Is there a country in the forest

ASADA

In the forest, I created borders for red countries, white countries, blue countries, yellow countries, black countries and green countries. Why?
The world is divided into countries, but if you look closely, you will see that there are countries in the sea, sky and forests too. It's the same forest, but there are red forests, white forests, yellow forests, black forests and green forests. Even the forests have countries? Why is that?

Woods or something else?

KIGA Youko

Unfortunately, woods near residential areas are often overgrown with vine and ivy due to lack of care, and littered with what looks like industrial waste.
In many cases, they are not so clean.
Even such overgrown mountains, there are times when a flash of light shines through from the sky and transforms the place into a place of purity.
The light is gone in an instant, but it is breathtakingly refreshing.
Longing for such a place of prayer, I am trying to create a convenient and instant place of prayer by hand.

If art of near future becomes like “Keyaki’s Walk,” what kind of world we would live? 

2024 the Laboratory of Forest Art will be held during September 29 – October 20 in the same forest of the previous years. Since there is no parking, a recommended access to the Forest is by bus. The most convenient transportation is a bus ride to Yokohama Zoorasia, from JR Nakayama 中山 Station, Sotetsu Tsurugamine 鶴ヶ峰 Station, or Sotetsu Mitsukyo 三ツ境 Station. (Timetables are here.) Get off the bus at the North Gate of Zoorasia that is the closest to the art exhibition entrance. When you leave the terminal stop of Zoorasia North Gate, go back a bit along the bus road, and on your left is the sign for the GROUP. From there enter the forest. The road is a relatively wide walking promenade. Soon you can see a big banner over there saying “the Creation and Voice of the Woods 創造と森の声.”

When you find a problem in the site introduced in this post, the best contact address will be GROUP the Creation and Voice of the Woods.

https://morilab.amebaownd.com/
e-mail: morinokoe7@yahoo.co.jp

The city office which is in charge of this forest is

Office for the Park Greeneries in the North 北部公園緑地事務所
Yokohama Municipal Government Creative Environment Policy Bureau 横浜市環境創造局
Phone: 045-311-2016 

FAX: 045-316-8420