Art festivals are revitalizing ageing communities in rural Japan. Here's how

The Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale will commence in mid-July, four hours from Tokyo, in one of Japan’s mountainous communities, marked by depopulation and an ageing demographic. Japan has one of the world’s highest ageing populations, challenging rural areas, such as the one hosting the festival, to keep functioning.

This year, we will see the ninth Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, whose contribution to the local community has grown each time it has occurred. Before the pandemic in 2018, the festival attracted 540,000 visitors and generated approximately JPY 6.5 billion in profit. Its success has inspired other regions to host similar productions.

By attracting visitors and revitalizing local businesses, regional art festivals could be a potential solution to address the challenges of age-driven depopulation in Japan.

The United Nations’ World Population Projections 2019 forecasted that in 2020, approximately 20% of the population in some developed countries in Europe and the United States would be aged 65 or older. Moreover, the number of people in this demographic is expected to increase worldwide, representing more than 30% of the population in many countries, including in Asia.

Japan’s ageing demographic has been noted since the 1970s and by 1994, those over 65 years old had already reached 14%. By 2020, 28.1% were over 65, making Japan the country with the oldest people in the world.

Furthermore, 63.2% of the country’s total area is reported to be depopulated, with age being a significant factor – 39.7% of the population is over 65, higher than the national average of 28%.

Ageing and depopulation lead to unmaintained forests and fields, resulting in vacant houses and deteriorating infrastructure. According to a report by Japan’s Cabinet Office, 53.8% of all depopulated areas are abandoned and unkempt; such areas have increased by 76,000 hectares over the past decade. The continued ageing of the population is expected to further threaten the stability of local communities and their infrastructure.

The Echigo-Tsumari region of Niigata Prefecture is lined with verdant mountains and covers approximately 760 kilometres-squared. The winters see around two metres of snow. Despite its vast area, the region’s population is only 67,000, with those over 65 representing 41% of the population.

When looking for ways to revitalize the area, an official from Niigata Prefecture suggested using art to counter the adverse effects of ageing. The initial idea was opposed by local senior citizens who did not believe it would attract visitors. However, Fram Kitagawa, an art director from Niigata, helped the team convince the community and the first art festival was held in 2000 as a public project.

Before launching, Kitagawa visited Echigo-Tsumari and observed that “grandfathers and grandmothers who have dealt with all the difficulties of living here are now 70 or 80 years old. There is no one to protect their graves and the villages are vanishing.”

In an interview, he continued, “there was a time when living and creating things in harmony with nature gave people hope. I wondered if art could once again have the kind of power it once had.” Since then, the festival has taken place like clockwork, using outdoor spaces, vacant houses and abandoned schools as exhibition venues.

One of the most successful art festivals that has drawn inspiration from Echigo Tsumari – and backed by the public sector – is the Setouchi International Art Festival, a triennial event since 2010. It was originally organized by Benesse, a distance learning and publishing company, with Soichiro Fukutake of the Fukutake Foundation and Kitagawa.

The festival happens on several islands in the Seto Inland Sea, where, like Echigo-Tsumari, the younger generation has left in search of work, leaving behind an ageing population. By exhibiting artworks on islands that previously had little to attract visitors, the festival has given people reason to visit. As a result, the 2019 festival generated an economic impact of JPY 18 billion.

The regional art festivals have produced various long-term impacts by attracting people from outside the community to an area with an ageing and shrinking population. These festivals could thus improve the three pillars of a sustainable, fulfilling long life – quality of life, purpose and financial security – suggested in “Living Longer, Better: Understanding Longevity Literacy” by the World Economic Forum.

In addition to operating the art festival, other business sectors have been revitalized, including tours, lodging and food and beverage services that cater to festival attendees. These businesses create new jobs and contribute to the local economy.

For instance, the Echigo-Tsumari Satoyama Collaborative Organization, a non-profit organization, was established alongside the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale. Local residents and new residents to the area “operate the artworks, facilities and projects created during the festival as year-round businesses”. These initiatives help stem the outflow of younger generations from the region.

As the area attracts more repeat visitors and volunteers and for longer, many become so enamoured that they relocate to the area.

Ogijima Island, a venue for the Setouchi Triennale, from seeing the last of its children grow into adulthood, now regularly welcomes new residents. Around 50 of the island’s 130 residents are new arrivals since the art festival’s inaugural year.

It has even led to reopening an elementary school and day care centre on the island.

The first Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale was held in 28 villages; now, over 100 villages make up the triennial festival. Village residents, including those over 65, play active roles in preparing artworks, performing and guiding visitors, thereby engaging with people from outside the community.

These interactions help local participants develop a newfound appreciation of their community and a sense of hometown pride. Visitors, in turn, deepen their understanding and familiarity with the region not just through art but also by interacting with locals. As a result, approximately 40% of visitors return.

Five art festivals are scheduled to take place across Japan this summer. Public-private partnerships play a crucial role in boosting this regional revitalization through the festivals and addressing the long-term impacts of Japan’s ageing population.