Nara Valley's Art Forest

🌳 I visited the Murou Art Forest Park in Nara three years ago. I realized that if I don't post about it now, it will soon be the season when the park closes. This is a private photo spot, but it has become quite popular on social media, so I'll just give a brief introduction. 🌳 The park's design concept is based on the 'Forest Corridor Plan' by sculptor Bukichi Inoue, who was born in Murou Village. He wanted to turn the entire village into an art museum, creating a 'monument in the mountains' centered around the sun. The Hakone Open-Air Museum was also his work. After his death, Israeli sculptor Dani Karavan visited the site multiple times and finally brought this vision to life. 📷 The park is not very large; you can walk around and take photos in about an hour. I visited in mid-December, and if you go a couple of weeks earlier, the dawn redwoods in the forest look stunning in photos. The park is located in a valley, so the sun sets very early. By around 2 PM, the sunlight is blocked by the mountains, but the light is still sufficient for photography. 🧑‍🌾 From the bus stop to the park, you will pass through a small village. The residents are very kind and friendly. We met an uncle driving a small pickup truck who offered us a ride, and a grandmother who reminded us of the last bus schedule so we wouldn't miss it. ⚠️ Since this is a rural attraction, the bus service is very infrequent. There is about a 20-minute walk from the bus stop to the park, which is not very steep. The last bus is around 4:40 PM, so it's best to leave enough time for the return trip. Murou, Uda City, Nara Prefecture 181 🚃 If you're coming from Kyoto, take the Kintetsu Kyoto Line to Yamato-Yagi Station, transfer to the Kintetsu Osaka Line to Murou-Kuchi-Ono Station, then take the Nara Bus No. 44 to Murouji Temple Station, and walk 18 minutes to the park. The route is quite clear on Google Maps.