Fukushima regional growth through arts, exhibits comes to Tokyo on 11 March

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will be hosting a special exhibition titled “Art & Imagination from FUKUSHIMA – The Beginning of Creation in Fukushima Hamadori” at Shibuya Hikarie in Tokyo from 11 to 15 March 2026. This exhibition is a part of the Fukushima Hamadori Film and Arts Culture Project, an initiative launched in 2022 to discover and promote new regional charms through the power of arts and culture. It also highlights the diverse creative activities emerging in the Hamadori region, showing a transition from disaster recovery to a period of cultural flourishing.

The exhibition features several key projects that bridge the gap between artists and local residents. Artist Shinji Mitsuzuka presents “The Process of Memories that Cannot be Conveyed,” a series of paintings based on interviews with residents of Minamisoma City regarding their memories of the landscape before the 2011 disaster. Another highlight is a residency project in Tomioka Town managed by regional coordinator Nanami Akimoto, involving the theatre unit humunus and the architectural group Garage. These works aim to visualise the multi-layered memories and evolving environment of the region through the eyes of creators.

In addition to visual arts, the event showcases the documentary film “Rokkoku Kitchen” by non-fiction writer Ario Kawauchi and director Daisuke Miyoshi. The film follows a journey along Route 6, exploring the daily lives and food culture of people living in towns such as Naraha, Okuma, Futaba, and Minamisoma. The exhibition also features the choral song “Gunjo,” which was composed by students at Odaka Junior High School in Minamisoma following the disaster. The song has since gained national recognition as a symbol of hope and is frequently performed at graduation ceremonies across Japan.

To further engage the public, a video titled “Artrec@Fukushima -Creation Buds in the Land of Rebirth-” will be released in early March. The content features news anchor Takahiko Fujii visiting various creative sites in Hamadori to interview artists and residents. This video will be broadcast on Fukushima Central Television and Miyagi Television, as well as being made available on YouTube. A talk event is also scheduled for 11 March at the Shibuya venue, where creators will discuss the potential of the Hamadori region as a permanent hub for artistic production.

METI established this project to foster a “relationship population“, individuals who engage with the region consistently without necessarily residing there. The ministry aims to build a sustainable creative ecosystem through these events, and transform the perception of Fukushima from a site of disaster recovery to a vibrant destination for creators and cultural enthusiasts.