Under the catchphrase “If it’s sunny, let’s go to Ichihara!”, a new type of art festival opened that made use of local resources such as closed elementary schools, transportation including the Kominato Railway and buses, as well as the region’s food culture and natural environment. Base facilities were created by repurposing former school buildings, while innovative projects were developed that incorporated trains, stations, and even the scenery seen from train windows. These included mobile performances that unfolded along railway routes and artworks that transformed station public restrooms themselves into artistic installations, creating forms of expression not previously seen. Centered on the satoyama landscapes of southern Ichihara City, the festival sought to reveal the value of local resources through art and to encourage collaboration among people from diverse backgrounds, while addressing challenges faced by suburban areas on the outskirts of the Tokyo metropolitan region.

With the fusion of contemporary art and local resources as one of its central themes, the festival presented artworks primarily by artists who have ongoing connections with Ichihara City, alongside a wide range of hands-on workshops. Projects included the “Kominato Railway 100th Anniversary Project,” collaborations with longstanding local festivals, and welcome boards created by elementary and junior high school students across the city. Through these initiatives, the festival brought together artists, local communities, residents, and supporters, and was held as a true “community art festival of our town.”

Originally scheduled for 2020, the Boso Satoyama Art Festival: Ichihara Art × Mix 2020+ was repeatedly postponed due to the global spread of COVID-19. The third edition of the festival presented its largest scale to date, featuring 90 artworks by 70 artists from Japan and abroad. New initiatives included the “Station Project,” which transformed 17 stations along the Kominato Railway into exhibition spaces, as well as newly added venues such as the Goi Rail Yard and the former Hirami Elementary School. As an art festival held during the pandemic, thorough infection-prevention measures were implemented, including sanitization of exhibition spaces and temperature checks for visitors.

Held as part of the 150th Anniversary of Chiba Prefecture, this festival took place across five cities in the Uchiboso region. Building on its predecessor, Ichihara Art × Mix, which began in 2014, it developed into the first regional collaborative art festival organized through public–private partnership. Led by General Producer Kobayashi Takeshi and General Director Kitagawa Fram, the festival presented 91 artworks—including 60 new or newly developed works—alongside live performances integrating music, video, dance, and technology. The event drew attention as a new platform for artistic expression envisioning the future of the region.