By Cathy Hirano

Looking for something unique to do on your next day off or somewhere cool to take your friends or family? Check out The Art Project for the Abandoned Fujita Hospital in Sakaide City, just a short train ride from Takamatsu JR station. Sakaide, once a bustling port and salt producer, has seen its thriving shopping district slowly decay.



But the city still has many unique buildings and some very enterprising and interesting people. When the roof was removed from one part of the shopping arcade recently, it brought an abandoned hospital into view.


Fujita Hospital

Determined to breathe a little life back into the district, a project team was formed. Their idea? Invite artists to adopt a room within the hospital as their creative space.



The project, which started on January 8, will continue until May 5. The artists and exhibits change every month and they range from weird to wonderful. Here are a few scenes to give you an idea (but please note the exhibits have already changed so look forward to something new!).



Aloe in Japanese is known as “ishinashi” or “no doctor”, and the artist, who moonlights as a gardener, used the abandoned operating room to play with this theme.

The pharmacy featured glowing vegetable specimens.



One of a series of paintings of Sakaide as a ghost town (really cool)



Participating artists and performers have also been holding a variety of fun events, including robot dancing (see here for an excerpt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-bcA8L7uI4 )
a hospital sleepover, and a candlelight service. Visitors are welcome to enjoy “cosplay” (which in English would be “dressup”). Up to 3 people can dress up as doctors or nurses at a time.



There are other attractions in the vicinity as well, but more on that subject in a later post.

Admission: only 300 yen, and each ticket includes a 100 yen voucher that can be used at participating stores in the shopping arcade.
Hours: 13:00-19:00 daily except Tuesdays. Closed March 4 to 14 to change exhibits but open March 8 for a special overnight event.
Access: Take the JR line from Takamatsu Station to Sakaide (15 min.). It’s a 10 minute walk from the station. Go out the north exit and walk straight for about 2 minutes. You’ll see the covered shopping street on your right. Head down the shopping street for about 4 minutes until you come to the Morisaki butcher shop. Turn right. Go down this street another 4 minutes and you’ll see the project sign on your left. The last part of this street is no longer covered by a roof. If you’re able to navigate your way there by car, there is parking at the port, 4 minutes walk from the site. Go to this URL and click on the google map (Japanese):
http://fujitaap.jimdo.com/%E3%82%A2%E3%82%AF%E3%82%BB%E3%82%B9-access/

For more info on Takamatsu:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Takamatsu
http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/
http://tia-takamatsu.jp/
http://www.my-kagawa.jp/eg/

Other Takamatsu bloggers:
http://pat.ashita-sanuki.jp/
http://ogijima.com