Futaba Art District

Futaba Art District

Futaba Art District is an art initiative carried out by art collective Over Alls in Futaba (双葉町), a town in the coastal area of Fukushima.

As of February 2023, Futaba Art District comprises ten murals located between the JR Futaba station and the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum.

Futaba town had to be evacuated and was severely affected by the nuclear accident in 2011. In 2020, the evacuation order was lifted for the area around Futaba station.

The murals that make up Futaba Art District depict various aspects of Futaba's culture and pay homage to its residents.

When the artists asked Futaba residents what was most representative of their town, many answered ‘daruma dolls’ (traditional Japanese dolls for good luck). Since the Edo period, Futaba town held a yearly daruma market which had a famous tug-of-war. There are now murals depicting both the tug-of-war and the daruma dolls. 

In 2023, the Futaba Daruma Market was held again in Futaba town after 12 years.

A woman who tended the local cafe and a family who used to live in the town, as well as other members of the community, are depicted in some of the murals.

On each mural, you’ll find a QR code that you can scan to learn more about it (in Japanese).

You can easily reach the Futaba Art District from the JR Futaba Station. Click here for a map of the Futaba Art District (in Japanese).

Venue Details

Venue Details
Websitehttp://www.overalls.jp/cn23/cn30/futaba-art-district.html
Contact

http://www.overalls.jp/cn23/contact.html

Best SeasonAll Year
ParkingAvailable at the JR Futaba Station
Access Details
Access45-1 Nagatsuka-machi, Futaba Town, Futaba District, Fukushima Pref.
View directions
Getting there

By Train: 2 min walk from the JR Futaba Station (JR Joban Line)

By Car: 8 min. from the Joban Expressway exit on the Joban Futaba I.C

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  1. Culture

    Fukushima’s Revitalization Educational One-Day Trip

    This is a model itinerary for visitors who would like to learn about Fukushima’s revitalization. The coastal area of Fukushima is the only place in the world to have survived a triple disaster: an earthquake, a tsunami and a nuclear disaster. Following extensive decontamination efforts and a great deal of demolition and reconstruction, several areas that were once designated as ‘difficult to return’ have started welcoming both residents and visitors again, with many residents eager to share their stories with the world. This itinerary centers on the towns of Futaba and Namie, both of which were severely affected by the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident in 2011.  The first stop is Futaba station and the surrounding Futaba Art District, a mural art initiative that pays homage to the residents and folk art of the town. From there, you’ll visit the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum, which has a detailed account of the area before, during, and after the disaster. At the museum, you’ll learn about the stories and testimonies of locals, as well as the plans and ideas for the future of Fukushima. The last stop is the remains of the Ukedo Elementary School in Namie town. Although the school building, located only 300 meters from the sea, sustained great damage from the tsunami, students, teachers and staff were able to evacuate from the school safely, for which it is known as a ‘miracle’ school.  This is a one-day itinerary, but we recommend staying somewhere in the coastal area of Fukushima after your visit.

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