👹 Draw an Oni: GPS Art Walk in Imafuku, Kawagoe ✨
This GPS art walking course invites you to draw an oni (demon) by tracing a 13-kilometer route through Imafuku, a historic district in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture. As your footsteps form the shape of an oni on the map, the walk becomes a playful yet meaningful experience, inspired by the traditional Setsubun phrase “Fuku wa uchi” (Good fortune in).
Imafuku developed during the Edo period as an agricultural village under the Kawagoe Domain. Between 1652 and 1655, land reclamation projects were led by Ushikubo Saemon of Ōtsuka Shinden, as part of the broader Musashino Plateau development promoted by the domain lord Matsudaira Nobutsuna. Farming, especially dry-field agriculture, supported daily life and shaped the cultural foundations of the area.
Local traditions continue to thrive today, most notably the Imafuku Kawagoe Matsuri Bayashi, a festival music tradition designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Saitama Prefecture. Along the course, walkers pass Myōken-in Temple, famous for its graceful weeping cherry blossoms, and Sugahara Shrine, a long-standing spiritual center supported by a dedicated parish community. These sites highlight the close ties between faith, agriculture, and community life in Imafuku.
Administratively, Imafuku became part of Fukuhara Village in 1889 and was later incorporated into Kawagoe City in 1955. Today, the area retains a peaceful landscape where residential neighborhoods blend with fields and open skies. The route winds between Prefectural Roads 6 and 8 and the Nakadai Street area, offering a calm and spacious walking environment.
Completing the oni-shaped GPS art in Imafuku is more than a walk—it is a journey through history, folklore, and everyday life. This course offers a unique way to experience Kawagoe beyond its famous warehouse district, combining cultural discovery with a modern, creative form of exploration.
DETAIL (EXTERNAL LINK)
A PIONEER IN GPS ART.
1st work was authorized by Guinness World Records as “the Largest GPS Drawing”.
He is the only Japanese person to be featured in a Google documentary as an innovator. He is fascinated by the idea of drawing with GPS and has published more than 2,500 works.
