🐦 Through the Eyewear Capital: A 17km Ptarmigan Art Trail in Sabae 🐦
Sabae City in Fukui Prefecture is internationally celebrated as Japan’s premier “eyewear capital,” while also boasting centuries-old traditions in textiles and Echizen lacquerware. This 17km GPS art course invites you to sketch a Ptarmigan (Raicho), starting from Sabae City Nishiyama Zoo. The zoo is nestled inside the scenic Nishiyama Park, a location selected among Japan’s top 100 historical parks and famous for its spectacular azalea blossoms and red pandas.
The trek offers a dynamic journey through the industrial and modern heart of the city. Starting near Roadside Station Nishiyama Park and the Sabae City Hall, you will follow the local transport veins, passing near Nishiyamakoen, Nishi-Sabae, and Sabae Stations. Heading south via Sundome-nishi Station, the route leads you to the striking Fukui Sun Dome (Fukui Prefectural Industrial Promotion Facility). Circling this massive, futuristic dome provides the perfect curve to shape the bird’s majestic silhouette.
The Ptarmigan is a sacred alpine bird and an Ice Age relic that inhabits rugged snowy peaks like nearby Mt. Hakusan. Tracing this natural icon across Sabae’s energetic flatlands—with the precision of a master glasses craftsman—is the ultimate joy of GPS art. This 17km loop is an invigorating distance for passionate runners and walkers. By the time the digital Ptarmigan appears on your screen, you will have experienced Sabae’s creative spirit and vibrant local energy.
RESTAURANTS
REFFERENCE
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.
