Towada City, located in Aomori Prefecture on the northern top of Japan's main island, is well-known for splendid natural attractions such as Lake Towada and the Oirase Stream. In April, this city (population 66,000) saw the opening of a unique contemporary art museum, Towada Art Center, which has proven to be so popular that it attracted 10,000 visitors in its first four days!

Why is this museum causing so much excitement? First of all, its design is unique. The exhibition rooms are like independent "houses for arts" interspersed throughout the facility, connected to each other by glass corridors. It is as if the interconnected rooms form a single city, and some have huge windows that make them fully exposed to view from the outside! The museum also houses permanent exhibition spaces, galleries, a cafe, and a community center.