"SAIKU CULTURAL ART NIGHT 2025" produced by HITOHATA,INC., will be held on Sun, Feb, 23 2025 (national holiday) at Saiku Heian no Mori (Meiwa-cho, Taki County, Mie Prefecture). (Organized by DMO HANA MEIWA).

This event will be held in the main hall of the Saiku Heian no Mori, which is located at the Saiku Site, the national historic site where the Saio lived in the past, and will feature cultural assets such as the Tale of Genji Picture Scroll and the Tale of Ise Screen, which depict the stories of the Saiku and Saio, and projection mapping images based on the motif of the stories that are interwoven with the artifacts from the Saiku Site. In addition, there will be sword dance performances, ritual dances and a collaboration between the Saio in Heian costume and projection mapping.

Admission is free and no prior application is required.

In the Nishiwakiden Hall, there will be a digital installation that allows visitors to experience the story of the Saiku and Saio in an immersive way, as well as explanations of cultural assets related to the Saiku that will be the motif of the projection mapping, and an AR experience that allows visitors to interactively view cultural assets related to the Saiku using their own smartphones.

Please enjoy this special night of cultural assets and stories that are unique to Saiku.

This event is subsidised by the Agency for Cultural Affairs under the FY2024 ‘Subsidy for Cultural Resource Utilisation Projects (Promotion of the Utilisation of Attractive Cultural Properties in Various Areas of Japan)’.

The following is a summary of the event.

Outline of the event

[Name] SAIKU CULTURAL ART NIGHT 2025

[Dates] Sun, Feb, 23 2025 (national holiday) 18:00-20:00


18:00-18:30 Sword dance performance
18:30-19:00 Ritual dance
19:00-20:00 Collaboration with projection mapping and Saio

*Projection mapping is a continuous projection of approximately 7 minutes of content with an intermission of approximately 1 minute.
*Collaboration between the Saio and projection mapping will be held once in every two projections, together with the video mapping projection.
*If it is rain, some of the content may be changed or the event may be cancelled.

18:00 - 20:00 Digital installation exhibition, commentary on cultural properties, AR experience of cultural properties

[Venue] Saiku Heian no Mori (2800 Saiku, Meiwa-cho, Taki County, Mie Prefecture)


Public transport: 5 min walk from the Historic Site Park Exit of Saiku Station on the Kintetsu Yamada Line.
Car: 20 mins from Tamaki IC of Ise Expressway.
*Parking for approx. 50 vehicles is available at the east side of the Saiku Heian no Mori (2773-1, Saiku, Meiwa-cho, Taki County, Mie Prefecture).
Or use the ‘Itsukinomiya Community Exchange Centre’ (2811 Saiku, Meiwa-cho, Taki County, Mie Prefecture).

[Contents]
In the main hall of the Saiku Heian no Mori, located in the Saiku Site, the remains of the palace where the Saio lived in the past, projection mapping images will be projected based on the motif of cultural assets such as artifacts excavated from the Saiku Site, the Tale of Genji picture scroll and the Tale of Ise screen, which depict the story of Saiku and Saio, and the stories that are interwoven with them, in addition to a sword dance performance, a ritual dance, and a performance of the Heian period costume. In addition, there will be sword dance performances, ritual dances and a collaboration between the Saio in Heian costume and projection mapping.

In the Nishiwakiden Hall, there will also be a digital installation that allows visitors to experience the story of the Saiku and Saio in an immersive way, as well as explanatory displays of cultural properties related to the Saiku that will be the motif of the projection mapping, and an AR experience that allows visitors to interactively view cultural properties related to the Saiku using their own smartphones.

[Requests to visitors]
- When taking photos or videos of the projection mapping, please refrain from using flash photography, drone photography or using a tripod for long periods of time in the front row during busy times. The shutter sound of continuous shooting may disturb people around you, so please refrain from taking continuous shots or use the silent shooting function during busy times. The images move very quickly, so we recommend taking video with a smartphone.

- When using a tripod for filming projection mapping, the camera position is limited to the height of the photographer's head, regardless of the viewing location (except for filming by official recording staff). Please refrain from using a stepladder or other object that does not allow your feet to touch the ground.

- Please note that you may be photographed or filmed by staff and may be included in media coverage. Please be aware of this in advance.

[Organizer] DMO HANA MEIWA

[Cooperation] Meiwa Town, Saiku Historical Museum, Japan Heritage Promotion Council, National Historic Site Saiku Site Preservation Association.

[Planning and production] HITOHATA,INC.