Looking for an autumn day out that mixes historic Japanese architecture with contemporary art? Science and Art Hill 2026 (科学と芸術の丘2026), an international festival where science and art meet, returns to Matsudo, Chiba on Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, 2026. This is its ninth year.
The festival spreads across Tojo-tei (戸定邸), a historic house designated a National Important Cultural Property, the teahouse-style Shoun-tei (松雲亭) and Tojogaoka Historical Park (戸定が丘歴史公園). Below you’ll find ticket prices, the full talk schedule, the workshops, the garden market and a few tips for planning your visit.
- Two days only: October 24 (10:00–16:30) and October 25 (10:00–16:00)
- General admission is ¥1,000 in advance or ¥1,500 on the day
- Junior high school students and younger get in free
- Workshops need a separate fee and an advance reservation
- Food and craft stalls are set up in the park’s plum grove
What is Science and Art Hill?
This year’s theme is Weaving the Microcosmos (小宇宙を編む). The idea is to tie together things you normally can’t see, such as microbes, the history of a place, and personal senses and memories, and to create a space where different beings meet and change each other.
You don’t just look at finished works here. The festival runs on four strands, and you move between them at your own pace:
- Exhibitions in Tojo-tei and the park
- Workshops built around movement, observation and making
- Talks held at Tojo-tei
- The Hill Marche, a market of cafes and craft shops
New this year is a Learning Space, where visitors can look back on what they saw and swap opinions. A program called CATALYST LINK also connects local activities and places around the city. The organizers say no art background is needed, so you can simply start with whatever catches your eye.
Dates, venue and ticket prices
| Event | Science and Art Hill 2026 (科学と芸術の丘2026) |
|---|---|
| Dates | Sat, October 24, 2026, 10:00–16:30 Sun, October 25, 2026, 10:00–16:00 |
| Venues | Tojo-tei, Shoun-tei, Tojogaoka Historical Park and other spots |
| Address | 714-1 Matsudo, Matsudo City, Chiba (松戸市松戸714-1) |
| Organizer | Matsudo City; Science and Art Hill Executive Committee (科学と芸術の丘実行委員会) |
| Ticket covers | Exhibitions at Tojo-tei, talks and workshops (workshops need a separate fee and reservation) |
| Official site | science-art-matsudo.net |
Ticket prices
| Category | Advance | On the day |
|---|---|---|
| General | ¥1,000 | ¥1,500 |
| High school and university students | ¥900 | ¥1,400 |
| Matsudo discount (live, work or study in Matsudo; proof required) | ¥500 | |
| Junior high school students and younger | Free | |
Prices are from the organizer’s announcement of October 16, 2026. Where to buy advance tickets and how long they are on sale aren’t covered here, so please check the official site before you go.
The four programs
1. Exhibitions: cutting-edge art in historic rooms
Works that cross science and art are shown in Tojo-tei, Tojogaoka Historical Park and nearby spaces. Highlights announced so far:
| Work | What it is |
|---|---|
| The Garden Experiment — Mens sana in ambiente sano | A citizen science and art project linking Switzerland and Japan, shaped through research and creation with local people |
| pHeil, Circle of pHen and other works | Pieces that make the cycles of natural materials and tools visible |
| layers, by Yuki Anai (穴井佑樹) | An installation that layers light, video and thread to bring layers of memory to the surface |
Works by pHen ARTIST COLLECTIVE are also part of the lineup, including pieces made with naturally derived inks.
2. Workshops: learn by moving, watching and making
These hands-on sessions need a separate fee and an advance booking, so reserve before the weekend if one interests you.
| Workshop | Run by / what you do |
|---|---|
| Moving Landscape: Dancing Neighbours – Movement Workshop | Michal Šandor. Explore your relationship with other people and the place through body movement |
| Insect-watching outdoor workshop: Science and Art Hill Explorers | Nomura Lab, Applied Entomology, Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University |
| Build a wild slow 4WD and race it through nature | Make your own small machine and race it outdoors |
| Chatty art viewing: A Microcosmos That Starts from Fragments | A conversation-based way of looking at the works together |
3. Talks at Tojo-tei
Guests from a range of fields speak at Tojo-tei. The schedule below is as announced; check the official site for any changes.
| Date and time | Talk | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 10/24 11:00–11:15 | Opening talk | Mayor of Matsudo (松戸隆政); co-directors Tetsuya Iwasawa (岩澤哲野) and 海野林太郎 |
| Sat 10/24 15:30–16:15 | Special talk | Michal Šandor × EU-Japan Fest Japan Committee |
| Sun 10/25 11:00–11:45 | Artist talk | Yuki Anai |
| Sun 10/25 13:00–14:00 | Special talk | PARADISE AIR × Science and Art Hill |
| Sun 10/25 14:30–15:15 | Special talk | The Garden Experiment |
Co-director Iwasawa was born in Matsudo and still lives there. He is a stage director who has worked in theater in Japan and abroad, and he founded the general incorporated association SOW in 2024 to work across theater, daily life and art.
4. The Hill Marche: food and crafts in the plum grove
The plum grove in Tojogaoka Historical Park, the festival’s main venue, hosts creative cafes and shops. Some of the names announced:
| Stall | Japanese name |
|---|---|
| Daily Lemonade | デイリーレモネード |
| LIVING Coffee and Bagels | LIVING Coffee and Bagels |
| Marusando (bread and snacks) | パンとおやつのマルサン堂 |
| yosagena (natural materials) | 自然素材yosagena |
| Charte (seasonal baked goods) | 季節の焼き菓子Charte |
| Köi (baked goods) | 焼き菓子Köi |
The full list of stalls is on the official Hill Marche page.
Tips for planning your visit
- Buy in advance if you can. Advance tickets are cheaper than paying on the day in both the general and student categories.
- Live, work or study in Matsudo? The ¥500 local rate needs proof, so bring something that shows your address, workplace or school.
- Pick your day by the talks. Saturday has the opening talk and Michal Šandor’s session. Sunday packs in three talks, including the artist talk by Yuki Anai.
- Note the earlier Sunday close. Sunday ends at 16:00, half an hour earlier than Saturday.
- Book workshops early. They need a separate fee and a reservation, which the general ticket doesn’t cover.
- It’s a good outing for families. Children in junior high school or younger get in free, and Shichi-Go-San visitors with two guardians can enter free.
- Keep your phone charged. If you’ll be taking photos all day, our guide to free ChargeSPOT power bank rentals with d VALUE PASS may save you some yen.
Access details such as the nearest route and walking time aren’t covered in the announcement, so check the official site for directions.
Why Matsudo has an art scene
Matsudo is a residential city close to central Tokyo, home to long-time locals, newcomers, students and people with roots overseas. Its creative culture didn’t come from one big museum. It built up over time:
- Design education. The Tokyo Higher School of Arts and Technology (東京高等工芸学校), now Chiba University’s Faculty of Engineering, was once based here and turned out many designers. A monument remains on campus.
- The Matsudo Art Line Project. Launched in 2010, it helped young creators connect with each other.
- PARADISE AIR. This artist-in-residence program started in 2013. It takes its cue from an Edo-period custom at the Matsudo post town, where traveling painters and writers left works in place of paying for lodging. Artists from Japan and abroad stay and create here.
If you have time before or after the festival, a few street art spots are worth a detour:
- Nemoto Mural Street and the mural underpass, with colorful murals painted by resident artists as a thank-you to the city
- The mural toilet in West Exit Park (西口公園), painted by ZEDZ
- Matsudo Portal, a mural on a shop wall
- Takasago-dori Watanabe Kobo (高砂通り渡辺工房), a base for local artiststs
Other October events in Matsudo
| Date | Event | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Sun, Oct 18 | Matsudo Shrine Shinkosai (神幸祭) | Held only in years when October 18 falls on a Sunday. This year it returns in its original form for the first time in 11 years: about 400 people in traditional dress walk some 6 km around Matsudo Station with a portable shrine, lion float and children’s procession |
| Oct 27 (Tue) to Nov 8 (Sun) | Matsudo Art Picnic 2026 | Contemporary art in the green fields of the 21st Century Forest and Park (21世紀の森と広場), focused on how we relate to nature |
Details: Shinkosai on the Matsudo City website / Matsudo Art Picnic on Instagram
FAQ
- Q. When is Science and Art Hill 2026?
- It runs on Saturday, October 24, 2026 from 10:00 to 16:30 and on Sunday, October 25, 2026 from 10:00 to 16:00.
- Q. How much are tickets?
- General admission is ¥1,000 in advance or ¥1,500 on the day. High school and university students pay ¥900 in advance or ¥1,400 on the day. People who live, work or study in Matsudo pay ¥500 with proof. Junior high school students and younger are free.
- Q. Do workshops cost extra?
- Yes. Workshops need a separate participation fee and an advance reservation. Check the official site for details.
- Q. Can we come for Shichi-Go-San photos?
- Yes. Children visiting for Shichi-Go-San photos, plus two guardians, can enter free.
- Q. Where is the festival held?
- Mainly at Tojo-tei, Shoun-tei and Tojogaoka Historical Park, 714-1 Matsudo, Matsudo City, Chiba.
- Q. Is there food at the festival?
- Yes. The Hill Marche in the plum grove of Tojogaoka Historical Park has cafes and shops selling items such as lemonade, coffee, bagels, bread and baked goods.
More culture-filled weekends ahead? See our guide to the Musashino Art University Festival 2026, the Ghibli Park exhibitions in Osaka, Yokosuka and Kyoto, or the Asoview campaign that discounts leisure tickets.