The sand sculptures with their attractive transient beauty
The indoor facility for this museum of art located at the Tottori Sand Dunes was first opened in 2012, and over the years, the themes have changed annually with the exhibition period being from April to the following year’s January in an average year. The sand sculptor and producer is Katsuhiko Chaen who was selected as one of “The 100 Japanese People Respected by the World”. Every year, sand sculptors are invited from all over the world to display their world-class works. The attraction undoubtedly lies in the high level of artistic skill carefully carved into the finest detail within these massive works of art. Within a space that is as huge as a gymnasium, some of the sand sculptures soar above the 2nd-floor sightseeing passage, and they are incredible for their delicacy and dynamic design. The carving techniques for the statues involve lumps of sand that have only been hardened by water. Since the ingredient is sand, there is always the danger of collapse right from during construction to after completion so one of the charms is the beauty that is within that transience. After sunset, the facility is illuminated so you can get a view of the sculptures that differs from the daytime. In 2014, 3D projection mapping was initiated so that from twilight and into the evening, the spectacular sand sculptures even just under normal lighting along with the images and sounds create a magical atmosphere.
Get that feeling of a trip around the world with themes that change annually
As an example, during the theme of Germany, the world view of the famous Grimm Tales was recreated through Snow White and streets deeply imbued with vestiges of the Middle Ages starting with the castle chosen No. 1 among the world’s 25 famous castles, Neuschwanstein Castle. You can get that feeling of a trip around the world at this museum of sand with its enormous scale and yet delicate and faithful reproductions.