Kawakami’s Artist Community, Takumi no Mura

Perched on a mountainside at the northern limit of Kawakami is a small and distinctive settlement. Eight houses and five cottages, all of similar dimensions and with the same soft gray paneling, surround a large community center. This is Takumi no Mura, a community of artists living and working together in a picturesque natural setting.

The community got its start in 1999, when town planners invited eight artists from around the country to move to Kawakami and pursue their art full-time. Every so often, a place in the community opens up, prompting a flood of applications from eager artists. Candidates must be established artists with demonstrable bodies of work, and they must be willing to move to Kawakami permanently. The benefits of relocating, however, are considerable: The houses are inexpensive but modern, with plenty of studio space, and the community center offers a public gallery for displays and artistic exchange. Most of all, the scenic mountain setting and tranquil neighborhood are an ideal environment for focusing on one’s art.

Takumi’s concentration of talent helps foster a local interest in art. Workshops on ceramics and cloisonné are held at the community center, and its upscale second-floor café offers light meals and desserts served near a small gallery, where a rotating selection of the artists’ latest works is displayed. Paintings, ceramics, and woodworks are sold at the attached gift shop, and larger exhibitions are held in the first-floor main gallery.

For those simply seeking a remote getaway with a mountain view and few distractions, the community rents five cottages on a nightly basis. Each can accommodate up to five people and has a fully equipped kitchen where guests can prepare their own meals.