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Exhibitions & Events>GAYU-Temple under the bridge railway track

GAYU-Temple under the bridge railway track / Toshimitsu Ito

GAYU-Temple under the bridge railway track

September 19 (Fri) - Nobember 24 (Mon, substitute holiday)

A 18-meter long statue of Goddess appears under the bridge railway track, which was created using waste materials from demolished buildings and discarded furniture.

Artiwork on panels on the body of Goddess lying under the railway track depicts people who reside in the area. At the entrance of the exhibition venue, a gate decorated with original wind chimes is placed, which were made in the workshop. The space where the Goddess lies is named “Temple under the Bridge Railway Track” and a place to to appeal and pray for daily sufferings and hopes is prepared in cooperation with people in the neighborhood.

The project attempts to build a temple in the field of art, where we can take a moment off those ideas socially accepted which have become our criteria before we even know it – useful/useless, natural/artificial, past/future, clean/dirty, success/failure, convenience/inconvenience, valuable/worthless, meaningful/meaningless, progress/recession, wealth/poverty, silence/noise, goodwill/malice, reason/absurd, etc.

In the project, the place where various materials and ideas exist is created under the railway track on the west side of JR Nishi-Chiba Station, centered around the Goddess, lying down and having deep thoughts overlooking people’s daily lives.

Event Overview

  • Date: September 19 (Fri) – Nobember 24 (Mon, substitute holiday)
  • Time: 10:00 – 18:00
  • Closed on Wednesdays
  • Venue:Under the JR Nishi-Chiba Station Overpass（24-2 2 Cho-me, Kasuga, Chuo-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba）
    ［No parking / No EV charging / No restroom / No accessible restroom］
  • Admission: Free
  • Area project sponsors: East Japan Railway Company Chiba Branch, Nishi-Chiba Residence Avenue 
  • Cooperation: 
  • Mikey. Inc.
  • Sumiken Mitsui Road Co., Ltd.
  • Nishi-Chiba PJ Welfare Workshop 
  • Clearland Co., Ltd.
  • Chiba Univerisity
  • TOKENKO Inc.
  • Masaki Otsuka (B-STACK Inc.)
  • Takachiho Products Co., Ltd.
  • Ari Uchida
  • Ukari Mashima
  • Noboru/Michiko Tokita
  • Jonny Yamagishi (Y’s CREATION)
  • Haruyo Sanada
  • Mifumi Farm

Visitor Guide (JR Nishi-Chiba Station to Venue)

Directions to the venue: After exiting the JR Nishi-Chiba Station ticket gates, head to the “South Exit” → Go up the stairs and immediately turn right → Walk straight along the road beside the tracks for 2 minutes to reach the venue.

Heatstroke Prevention Measures

Please take measures to prevent heatstroke by staying hydrated and wearing a hat, etc., according to the environment. If you feel unwell, please notify a nearby staff member.

Photography and Video Recording

Photography and video recording will be conducted on the day for promotional and record-keeping purposes. Media outlets may also conduct interviews and filming. Photographs and videos taken may be published on the Chiba International Art Festival website, social media, brochures, and other promotional materials, as well as on television, magazines, and other media. We kindly ask for your understanding in advance.

Base of this exhibitions & events

Site of the former pachinko parlor under the JR Nishi-Chiba Station overpass Nishi-Chiba area

Other exhibitions & events of "GAYU-Temple under the bridge railway track"

GAYU-Temple under the bridge railway track

Nishi-Chiba area
In this project, a 17-meter statue of Goddess is created using construction waste materials, discarded furniture, etc. under the bridge railway track next to Nishi-Chiba Station. Artwork on panels on the body of Goddess lying under the railway track depicts people who reside in the area, which shapes a huge statue of Goddess as a whole. The space where the Goddess lies is named “Temple under the Bridge Railway Track “and a place to appeal and pray for daily sufferings and hopes is prepared in cooperation with people in the neighborhood. The project attempts to build a temple in the field of art, where we can take a moment off those ideas socially accepted in general which have become our criteria before we even know it – useful/useless, natural/artificial, past/future, clean/dirty, success/failure, convenience/inconvenience, valuable/worthless, meaningful/meaningless, progress/recession, wealth/poverty, silence/noise, goodwill/malice, reason/absurd, etc. In the project, the place where various materials and ideas exist is called “Temple under the Bridge Railway Track, “ which is centered around the Goddess, lying down and having deep thoughts overlooking people’s daily lives. [Types of citizen involvement] providing materials, Workshop, Participation in production, Exhibition viewing
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Toshimitsu Ito

Born in Chiba in 1959. Completed Master’s program at the Department of Sculpture, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts (1987). Currently Professor Emeritus of Department of Fine Arts, Hiroshima City University. In recent years, he has been trying to shape the inspirations that come from researching the history and climate of a place based on the theme “Landscape and Sculpture.” His latest exhibitions include “LA ART SHOW 2015” (2015) in Los Angeles Convention Center, “Art Fair Tokyo 2016” in Tokyo International Forum, “Sculpture – Spirit and Unexpectedness” (2016) in the University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts, solo exhibition in KEUMSAN GALLERY (Seoul, South Korea) (2017), solo exhibition in FEI ART MUSEUM YOKOHAMA (Kanagawa) (2018), PyeongChang Culture Olympics event “FIRE ART FESTA 2018 – A Song Dedicated to Fire” (2018) at Gangneung Gyeongpo Beach (Gangneung, South Korea), “Setouchi Triennale 2016, 2019, 2022, 2025) (Shodoshima, Kagawa), etc.
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Other exhibitions & events of "GAYU-Temple under the bridge railway track"

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“Praying at the temple under the bridge railway track”Making wind chimes and dedicating them to the gods　workshop

Let's all make wind chimes with strips of paper attached to the body of a giant goddess statue.
venue:Nishichiba Workshop
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Toshimitsu Ito

“Praying at the temple under the bridge railway track”Making wind chimes and dedicating them to the gods　workshop

Let's all make wind chimes with strips of paper attached to the body of a giant goddess statue.
GAYU-Temple under the bridge railway track
venue:Nishichiba Workshop
Nishi-Chiba area
Fun for children No extra fee required Full (multiple days)
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