In the past few years, the Tunnel of Light – an art installation in Niigata’s remote Kiyotsu Gorge – has become one of the prefecture’s most popular sites.
An existing tunnel in the gorge was renovated in 2018 by Ma Yansong / MAD architects, a global design firm based in Beijing. The project was part of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Trienniale, which blends art projects and community development in a rather undervisited part of Japan.
The tunnel has four “outlets” that offer views out to the impressive gorge, but it’s the final outlet – with a watery floor – that offers the impressive shots so often seen on social media.
