How to spend time at James Turrell's The House of Light 🌌
Sharing actionable tips & a free 2D1N itinerary to maximize your weekend in a house where form follows light and shadow.
First up, remember these 6 important tips!
You should book 4 months before your intended stay!
https://www.hikarinoyakata.com/english/reserve/It is a 15min drive/taxi from Tokamachi Station. If you take taxi, when they drop you off best to inform the same driver you’d like to be picked up at 10am after checkout the next day.
Buy groceries and snacks at a big supermarket 8mins walk from Tokamachi Station because there is no konbini1 anywhere the House.
Use your power of negotiation to negotiate with other groups staying on the same night that your group would like to sleep in the Outside-In Room. (or you can じゃんけんぽん2 it) The guide
There is only 1 big stone bath for everyone. It is very sexy.
The best time is late winter when there is a higher chance of a cloudless sky and opening the moveable roof to ‘sleep under the stars’ at night likely won’t make you freeze to death. In mid-March (late winter) you will be instructed to open James Turrell’s signature Skyspace window at these times:
Sunset programme: 6:00pm
Sunrise programme: 5:15am
In my 3rd year of architecture school, I fell in love with this hauntingly beautiful essay titled ‘In Praise of Shadows’ written by Jun’ichiro Tanizaki. The 50-page essay opened my eyes to the subtle beauty of Japanese everyday aesthetics.
As it turns out, I was not the only one to be inspired by Tanizaki-san. I am beyond excited to share with you my first hand experience in this experiential guesthouse designed by James Turrell who came up with the idea of fusing the intimacy of shadows found in a traditional Japanese house with his masterful manipulation of light.
At first I was quite skeptical about coming all the way out into the woods of Niigata for a wooden Japanese house that had a room with a 40 minute light show.
I just had to see it to believe it, and I am glad my experience was an en✨light✨tening one.
The House of Light, created by renowned artist James Turrell, does not conform to a specific architectural style in the traditional sense. Instead, it is an art installation that combines elements of architecture, sculpture, and light art.
Architecturally, the House of Light features a minimalist design with clean lines and simple geometric shapes. Its structure serves as a canvas for Turrell's manipulation of light and space, creating immersive environments that play with perception and sensation. The focus is on creating spaces that heighten the viewer's awareness of light and its transformative qualities.
Turrell's approach to architecture is often described as "space shaping," where he uses architectural elements to frame and manipulate natural and artificial light. The House of Light is a prime example of this approach, as it incorporates specific openings, apertures, and surfaces to control the entry and diffusion of light within its interior spaces.
Overall, the architectural style of the House of Light can be characterized as contemporary and experiential, prioritizing the interplay of light and space to evoke profound sensory experiences for the viewer. The Outside-In room is a truly remarkable immersive space for contemplation and meditation.
The Outside-In Room is the largest room (12坪)3 the The House of Light. It is meant to be a shared space for the guests however, during our stay there was only 1 other group staying with us for the night and we were able to negotiate for our group to sleep in the Outside-In Room.
You could say that night we could count our lucky stars✨
Before you go, feel free to use this 2D1N itinerary as a guide to further maximize your stay centered around The House of Light located in the little town of Tokamachi, Niigata, making it an artsy fartsy weekend surrounded by the rich nature of Echigo-Tsumari region, away from Tokyo. I hope the time stamps and price points help with painting a rough idea how you should manage your time and finances!
This itinerary was made in Notion. If you’re a fellow Notion user, subscribe for free if you’d like an editable Notion page with additional screenshots on how to navigate bookings in Japanese below. Leave a comment so I can email it to you!
Till next week!
MQ🎐
コンビニkonbini - convenience store
じゃんけんぽんjankenpon - rock paper scissors
12坪tsubo - 12 ‘tatami mats’, a unit of measurement for room area in Japan