The Odawara Art Foundation Enoura Observatory, a cultural facility conceived by contemporary artist Sugimoto Hiroshi and constructed over the course of 10 years, will open to the public on October 9th of this year. Featuring a gallery building, outdoor stage, teahouse, and more, we take a closer look at the highlights of the facility, including why it was built in Enoura, overlooking Sagami Bay, and Sugimoto Hiroshi's thoughts on its opening.

Why did New York-based photographer, architect, and theater director Sugimoto Hiroshi create Enoura Observatory, a work that can be called the culmination of his artistic career, in Odawara? Sugimoto explains his reason for choosing Odawara: "My earliest memory as a child is the ocean view I saw from the Shonan train on the old Tokaido Line. As the train from Atami to Odawara passed through a tunnel, I was fascinated by the view of the vast ocean beyond. So I set out to spread the essence of Japanese culture from Odawara, the setting of Japanese mythology and my earliest 'place of memory.'"

This memory became the concept for the construction of Enoura Observatory and the catalyst behind the creation of this unique facility. Sugimoto purchased 10,000 square meters of land in the Enoura district of Odawara, originally a mandarin orange orchard, and began construction of an artwork he designed entirely on the site. Enoura Observatory is home to a variety of elaborately designed buildings, including the Meigetsumon Gate, donated and rebuilt by Tokyo's Nezu Museum; the Optical Glass Stage, illuminated by the sunlight rising from Sagami Bay on the morning of the winter solstice; the Summer Solstice Light Worship 100-Meter Gallery, which features an observation space for observing the summer solstice light; the Stone Stage, built with megaliths used in the stone walls of Edo Castle; and the Uchoten teahouse, inspired by the Tai-an teahouse said to have been created by Sen no Rikyu. The observatory also features a garden created with famous stones collected by Sugimoto from all over Japan. Combining natural scenery and art, Enoura Observatory, as its name suggests, also serves as a meteorological facility. On the winter solstice, there is the Optical Glass Stage, on the summer solstice, the Summer Solstice Light Worship 100 Meter Gallery, and on the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, the Stone Stage, with the axis of the stone bridge aligned with the axis of the morning sun rising over Sagami Bay, each plays out the original role of the facility as intended by Sugimoto. Enoura Observatory has highlights in every season, such as worshiping the sun's rays and watching the dances performed there, and you can experience "confirming your place in the heavens," just as ancient people did.

[Event Information]
Odawara Art Foundation Enoura Observatory
Dates: Opening October 9, 2017 (general reservations open July 20 at http://www.odawara-af.com, reservations only)
Address: 362-1 Enoura, Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Times: April to October: 3 times per day at 10:00, 13:00, and 16:00 (approximately 2 hours, limited capacity, rotation system); November to March: 2 times per day at 11:00 and 14:00 (approximately 2 hours, limited capacity, rotation system)
Fee: 3,000 yen (due to the characteristics of the facility and safety considerations, visitors under junior high school age are not permitted)
Closed: Wednesdays