👹 Draw an Oni in Fukusaki: Yokai-Themed GPS Art Walk ✨
This 17-kilometer GPS art course invites walkers to draw an oni (demon) by tracing a route around Fukusaki Town, Hyogo Prefecture—a place where folklore and everyday life are deeply intertwined. Inspired by the Setsubun phrase “Fuku wa uchi” (Good fortune in), the completed route reveals a friendly oni appearing across a town whose name itself includes the character for “fortune.”
The name Fukusaki was created during the Meiji-era municipal reforms, when Fukuda Village and Yamazaki Village were merged, combining one character from each name. Located along the middle reaches of the Ichikawa River, Fukusaki has long prospered as a transportation hub. Its flat river plains and surrounding low hills create an ideal landscape for a long yet enjoyable walking course.
Fukusaki is especially famous as the hometown of Kunio Yanagita, the father of Japanese folklore studies. In his honor, the town is filled with playful yokai-themed statues, benches, and installations—kappa, tengu, and other supernatural beings appear throughout the streets and parks. Exploring the route becomes a treasure hunt for yokai, adding an extra layer of fun to the GPS art experience.
Key highlights along the course include Nishiyama Inari Shrine, the Ichikawa River Park, Tsujikawayama Park, Fukusaki Station, the historic Miki House, and the Kunio Yanagita and Matsuoka Family Memorial Museum. Each stop reveals another facet of Fukusaki’s natural beauty, history, and cultural identity.
Drawing an oni in Fukusaki is more than a creative walk—it is a journey through folklore, community, and landscape. This GPS art course offers a uniquely immersive way to experience a town where demons, yokai, and good fortune coexist in harmony.
TOURISTS SPOT
- Nishiyamainari Shrine
- Fukusakicho Ichikawa Kasen Park
- Tsujikawayama Park
- Upside-Down Tengu
- Gajiro Tube
- Aburasumashi
- Zashikiwarashi
- Kappa（The River Sprite）
- Yamanba
- Fukusaki Town Tsujikawa Tourism Exchange Center
- Fukusaki Station
- Miki House
- Kunio Yanagita and the Matsuoka Family Memorial Museum
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.
