Kameoka City blends art and environment for anniversary event

Kameoka City will host a large-scale “Eco Art Day” on 30 August 2025, to mark the first anniversary of its environmental information hub, the Circular Kameoka Lab. The event aims to foster environmental consciousness through interactive art workshops and educational programmes, coinciding with a J1 League football match to engage a wider audience.

The event is the culmination of the lab’s first year of activities, which have focused on providing opportunities for residents and visitors to learn about and experience environmental issues. Kameoka City, which was the first in Japan to legislate a ban on single-use plastic bags, established the centre to further its goal of becoming an “environmental pioneer city.”

Kameoka Mayor Takahiro Katsuragawa stated that the lab has provided a catalyst for environmental action. “Over the past year, the Circular Kameoka Lab has been cherished by many, offering a chance to think about and act on environmental issues,” he said. “This special event, ‘Eco Art Day,’ combines the environment, art, and experience in a way that is unique to Kameoka.”

The event’s theme, “Environment x Art x Experience,” will been through two main workshops. Participants will create a large “wind streamer” symbol for the lab and decorate a wall to resemble a “fluttering aquarium.” Both workshops will utilise fabric offcuts from HOZUBAG, a local company that upcycles retired paragliders into bags. This approach is designed to nurture creativity while promoting an awareness of low-impact lifestyles.

Local partners, including the Kyoto University of the Arts and the NPO Kameoka Network of People and Nature, will deliver a range of unique programmes. Children who participated in its creation will present an original kamishibai, a form of paper storytelling, that explores the issue of marine plastic pollution from an inland perspective.

Further activities will focus on local biodiversity. A temporary “Hozugawa Aquarium” will exhibit creatures from the local Hozugawa River, and a special display will highlight conservation efforts for the Ayumodoki, an endangered fish species found only in Kameoka and parts of Okayama Prefecture. The event’s timing with the “Ayumodoki Derby” football match between Kyoto Sanga F.C. and Fagiano Okayama is intended to draw attention to the species’ plight.

The city hopes the event will encourage visitors to reflect on environmental challenges. The event is free to attend and will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Circular Kameoka Lab.