By Cathy Hirano

One of the nice things about living in Takamatsu is its proximity to so many great places. Over the last few months, we took a couple of trips to Shodoshima, Kagawa's biggest island, to see a fun new art project that opened near Tonosho Port. It's called MeiPAM and it consists of three separate galleries, each housed in a renovated old building.

All three are located in an area nicknamed Meiro no Machi (Maze Town). The streets are narrow and laid out in a confusing pattern intended to deter pirates from raiding the residents.


Main Street in Maze Town

The project also hosts events and performances as well as an outdoor market of local foods and handicrafts every 3rd Saturday and Sunday of the month.


Market

The first gallery, MeiPAM 01, is located in a warehouse that belonged to a kimono merchant.

MeiPAM 01


When we visited, it had a fabulous exhibit of washi (handmade Japanese paper) produced by Richard Flavin, an American artist living in Saitama. His works were so rich and textured they looked more like wood, stone or metal than paper.


Saw imprints on washi





The Heisei Maze Spiral outside is by local Takamatsu artist and metalworker Noboru Makizuka. It's a walk-in sculpture with a great spiral interior.





A map of Maze Town is traced in metal on the exterior



and the iron railings on the roof above are also designed as mazes, some of which spell words.



The 2nd gallery, MeiPAM 02, is located just around the corner in what used to be a storehouse for rice and soy sauce. It's also used as a live performance space.


MeiPAM 02

We just missed a performance by Hosei Takeda, a Takamatsu resident who does huge and impressive ikebana installations of bamboo, conifers and other plants.





The final gallery is MeiPAM 03, housed in what was once a coffee shop connected to a tiny Japanese pub. It's dedicated to self-proclaimed yokai (creature) artist Chubei Yagyu, who lives in the adjacent house.


The artist's house

Takamatsu residents may recognize his distinctive work from the TIA-INFO English journal to which he contributes illustrated local legends. This building is the perfect setting for his creative imagination.






Creature sushi bar


With real sushi chef

So next time you want to go exploring, hop on a ferry to Shodoshima and see what's happening at MeiPAM.

Access
Take the ferry from Takamatsu to Tonosho Port on Shodoshima (1000 yen round trip, 670 yen one way. 1 hour. Ferries every hour from 6:25 to 20:00). MeiPAM is about 15 min. walk from Tonosho Port towards Tonosho Town
Keep the sea on your left til you pass the elementary school (also on the left) and turn right. Go down all the way to the stoplight. MeiPAM 01 is on the left just before the light. (See map below.)
Office. Address: Honmachi, Tonosho
Hours: 10:00-18:00 (Market: 9:00-13:00)
Holidays: every Monday (if Monday is a national holiday, the following Tuesday)
Admission: Adults 800 yen, junior/senior high 500 yen, children free. If you only want to see one gallery, admission is 300 yen and 200 yen, respectively.
Admission to the galleries is paid in the office outside MeiPAM 01. They give you an electronic key that lets you in to the galleries.
For info on art exhibits, events, etc. check out their website. (Japanese only)
http://meipam.net/index.html
TEL/FAX : 0879-62-0221


Map to MeiPAM 01

MeiPAM 01