Haraizumi District is located in the northernmost part of Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and is a mountainous area stretching 10 km from north to south. It is a beautiful area with rich natural scenery of mountains, forests, tea fields, rice paddies and clear streams, and a traditional Japanese satoyama landscape. The area has tourist attractions such as popular campgrounds, hot springs, and ranch cafes. On the other hand, with a population of approximately 500 people, the area is one of the most rapidly aging areas in Kakegawa-city with a declining population and low birth rate (approximately 20% of local residents are over 80 years old), and vacant houses and cultivated land are falling into disrepair year by year. Since 2018, the organization has been supporting artists’ activities by operating AIR and holding exhibitions to present the results of their work, utilizing the entire community, including several vacant facilities and abandoned farmland.
The Harazumi Art Project (HAP) Artist-in-Residence Program (HARAIZUMI AIR) is a place for artists from outside Japan to experience the living and natural environment of Japan’s mountainous central region and to find new inspiration for their creative work. At the same time, it is an opportunity to meet and interact with the various stakeholders, artists, and their works that weave the HAP community together, while experiencing the warmth and community created by the mild climate of the Harazumi region.
Residencies are usually four weeks in length, and participating artists are required to hold an exhibition at the end of their stay in Haraizumi. During the residency, we will provide full support for artists who are willing to actively participate in workshops and talk events, so please feel free to discuss your needs with us.
HARAIZUMI AIR 2026 will accept applications on the following dates.
Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, so early registration is recommended.
However, there are conditions for application. If you do not meet our conditions or if we consider you inappropriate to participate, we may decline your application.
[A] (3 groups)：April 1 (Wed) – April 28 (Tue) (4 weeks) / Exhibition: April 25,26,27
[B] (3 groups)：May 6 (Wed) – June 2 (Tue) (4 weeks) / Exhibition: May 30,31, June 1
[C] (3 groups)：June 10 (Wed) – July 7 (Tue) (4 weeks) / Exhibition: July 4,5,6
HAP will provide the artists with accommodations, a studio exhibition space, and bicycles for the duration of their stay. Accommodation is in a traditional old Japanese house in a mountain village. The facilities on the premises will be shared by several artists.
Each artist will be provided with a private room, but will share the living room, bathroom, toilet, and kitchen in a separate building on the premises with other resident artists. Not all facilities are equipped with a WiFi environment. We do not have many tools and equipment available, so please consult with us in advance if you have equipment that you must use.
The studio and exhibition site is a former tea factory, an empty temple, and outdoors.
The town has stores for daily needs (supermarkets, home centers, drug stores, etc.) which are 20 minutes away by private car. Buses are also available, but there are only 5-6 buses per day. The road to the town is a mountain road, so bicycles are not recommended. In addition, if you have an international driver’s license ready to drive in Japan, you can use a HAP car temporarily. In addition, artists and staff cooperate with each other by either accompanying staff members on their regular trips to town or discussing in advance when purchases need to be made.
Haraizumi is located 1 hour and 30 minutes from Tokyo Station to Kakegawa Station, 2 hours from Shin-Osaka Station to Kakegawa Station, and 30 minutes from Kakegawa Station by bus or private car.
In the area, there is a hot spring, a cafeteria attached to the hot spring, a campground, and a café-bar attached to the campground.
Although it is not a convenient or perfect location, it may be the perfect environment for artists to “get away from the daily routine,” “fully enjoy the natural environment,” and “concentrate on creating artwork.
Basically, everyone is expected to work on their own productions,
On the last weekend of the residency, the artists will hold an exhibition to present the works they created during the residency. The exhibition will be planned by HAP staff during the first or second week of the residency, and HAP will announce the exhibition through SNS and print media. During the exhibition, an artist talk will be held and a party will be held after the talk.
For this reason, we will ask artists who are able to observe the time period we provide to participate in the exhibition.
Other activities will include a tour of the entire Haraizumi area during the first week. We will get to know the natural environment, facilities, past works, and villages, and share our knowledge of the area. Weekday lunches (for a fee), mainly during the stay, are sometimes shared meals and socializing.
During the second week, we plan to take the artists out of the Haraizumi area to show them around the art spots and tourist attractions in the surrounding area, etc. Whenever local events are held in the area or in the surrounding community, we will guide them and participate with them. So activities during your stay may vary.
Artists pay 180,000 yen for a 4-week stay.
For additional stays, payment will be 90,000 yen for each additional 2 weeks. Please consult with us in advance.
Once you are accepted and your stay slot is determined, you will be asked to pay 30,000 yen as a deposit.
The rest of your stay will be paid in cash or by credit card upon arrival.
For example, as soon as the date of your stay is decided, you will pay 30,000 yen upfront from the link that will be sent to you at a later date, and upon arrival, you will pay the remaining 150,000 yen (for a 4-week stay). The advance payment is non-refundable in case of cancellation.
Personal expenses such as food, transportation, daily consumables, art supplies, and other expenses related to your stay and production are not included in the accommodation fee.
However, for a group of two or more, each additional person will be charged 100,000 yen/person if sharing the same room, or 140,000 yen/person if sharing a separate room. Please discuss the number of people when you apply.
We do not have our own financial assistance program, so artists are encouraged to apply in advance for financial assistance in their home countries. We will also provide participating artists with necessary documents such as invitation letters and information on organization. Please consult with us at any time.
-The applicant must be able to submit the required documents (in English).
-Artists must be available for an online meeting prior to the decision to participate in the competition.
-Artists with foreign citizenship (regardless of their place of residence)
-Applicants must have a history of activities as an artist.
-Applicants must be over 20 years old.
-Those who are able to take care of their own physical and mental health (consultation required if accompanied by a support person).
-Those who enjoy staying and working in a natural environment and are willing to take on new challenges.
-Those who agree with the objectives and efforts of our organization and are willing to cooperate.
-Those who do not act in a way that violates Japanese law.
f you get a lot of yes’s, you are a good fit to participate!
Three slots are available for the year 2026. At the end of each period, we will hold an exhibition of the participating artists at the same time, so we ask that participating artists follow the plan for their residency. If you have any questions or concerns about the length of your stay, please let us know at the time of application or in advance.
[A] (3 groups)：April 1 (Wed) – April 28 (Tue) (4 weeks) / Exhibition: April 25,26,27
[B] (3 groups)：May 6 (Wed) – June 2 (Tue) (4 weeks) / Exhibition: May 30,31, June 1
[C] (3 groups)：June 10 (Wed) – July 7 (Tue) (4 weeks) / Exhibition: July 4,5,6
Fill out the required information in the Google Form.
Application Form
(1) Your name
(2) Desired period of stay A-C
[A] April 1 (Wed) – April 28 (Tue) (4 weeks)
[B] May 6 (Wed) – June 2 (Tue) (4 weeks)
[C] June 10 (Wed) – July 7 (Tue) (4 weeks)
(3) Your website, social networking service, or other information that shows your artwork.
(4) Artist Statement (attached)
(5) Curriculum Vitae (CV) (attached)
(6) Artist portrait (attached)
(7) A proposal (attached)
Please tell us about the project or artwork you would like to work on or try during your stay in Haraizumi. It does not necessarily have to be something you have done before; new experimental approaches in an unusual production environment are also acceptable. We encourage artists to take on new challenges.
