AKIYA AIR IWAMI
— Expanding a Cross-Cultural Residency in Shimane
Building on the strong foundation established in 2024, the AKIYA Artist in Residence (AIR) programme continued to grow in 2025, achieving significant artistic and cultural impact.
The 2025 edition demonstrated outstanding results. The programme attracted three times more applicants than the previous year, reflecting its increasing international recognition. Furthermore, the outcomes of the 2024 residency were presented at the Netherlands Pavilion during Expo 2025 Osaka, marking an important milestone and highlighting the programme’s relevance within a global cultural context.
In Shimane, the success of the Yunotsu-based residency has inspired broader regional interest. Following this momentum, we are expanding the programme to include Gotsu City, where a strong local initiative has emerged to welcome Dutch creators. Like Yunotsu, Gotsu faces challenges related to vacant houses, yet it is equally rich in character, history, and cultural potential. The local host organization is well-established, and the area has recently attracted a growing number of young people relocating from other regions, drawn by its unique environment and opportunities.
From 2025 onwards, the programme will be developed under the name AKIYA AIR IWAMI. This new framework reflects our commitment to the Iwami region, where Yunotsu and Gotsu are located. By offering artists from the Netherlands the opportunity to engage deeply with the distinctive culture, landscapes, and communities of Iwami, we aim to create the conditions for new artistic practices to emerge from this region.
Through AKIYA AIR IWAMI, we seek not only to continue cultural exchange, but to cultivate a lasting platform where local context and international perspectives come together to generate meaningful and forward-looking artistic outcomes.
Why Now
At a time when many rural regions in Japan face ongoing depopulation and the increasing number of vacant houses, there is a growing need to reconsider these conditions not as decline, but as potential.
AKIYA AIR IWAMI responds to this moment by positioning artistic practice as a catalyst—bringing new perspectives, activating local resources, and fostering meaningful exchange between regions and cultures.
Local Partner
in Iwami
The programme is implemented in collaboration with the Gotsu Future Education Design Institute (GFEDI), a local organization actively engaged in regional development and cultural initiatives.
Address: 52 Building, 1517-35 Gotsucho, Gotsu-shi, Shimane 695-0011, Japan
Website: https://gfedi.or.jp/
Executive Director: Shigechika Hirashita
GFEDI serves as the primary host in the Iwami region, supporting activities in both Gotsu and Yunotsu, with the possibility of a short stay in the Iwami Ginzan area.
Shigechika Hirashita
Mission
Through the AKIYA AIR programme, vacant houses and depopulated towns are reimagined as valuable resources—offering space, materials, and context for artistic creation.
Located away from major urban centers, the programme provides an environment where participants can engage deeply with rural life and culturally embedded practices, fostering a slower and more reflective mode of working.
At its core, the initiative seeks to create meaningful connections between visiting artists and local communities. By encouraging dialogue and collaboration between new perspectives and existing ways of life, the programme aims to uncover and activate the unique identity of the region.
Participants are invited to work within this context, using Akiya as both living and working spaces, and drawing inspiration from the cultural, historical, and social layers of the area.
Looking ahead, the programme contributes to a broader vision of positioning the Iwami region as a site for creative exchange, with future developments—including planned cultural events and artistic platforms—supporting its role as a gathering place for both local and international practitioners.
In parallel, Stichting MONO JAPAN continues to build bridges between the Netherlands and Japan, creating opportunities for sustained exchange within the creative field.