🐦 Sailing the Urban Island: A 7km Ptarmigan Art in Kobe Port Island 🐦
Kobe City in Hyogo Prefecture is a dynamic port city nestled between the Rokko Mountains and the Seto Inland Sea. Just off its coast lies “Port Island,” a pioneering artificial island that captured global attention during the 1981 Portopia Exposition. Today, it stands as a futuristic maritime city filled with tree-lined boulevards and cutting-edge facilities. This 7km GPS art course invites you to sketch a Ptarmigan (Raicho), starting from the lush, interactive paradise of the Kobe Animal Kingdom.
The route offers an intellectual and cultural journey through the island’s orderly grid. You will walk near major convention hubs like the Kobe International Exhibition Hall and the Kobe International Conference Center. The trail beautifully connects artistic and educational landmarks, passing the Japan Art Forum, the hands-on Bando Kobe Science Museum, and the unique UCC Coffee Museum, which celebrates Kobe’s rich history as a gateway for coffee culture. Geographically, the entire terrain is flat and exceptionally well-paved, offering a smooth and breezy canvas for walkers and runners alike.
The Ptarmigan is a sacred alpine bird and a relic of the Ice Age. Notably, Kobe Animal Kingdom is actively involved in the national conservation and breeding program for the endangered Japanese Ptarmigan. Drawing this mountain icon on a modern man-made island creates a beautiful dialogue between nature and urban innovation. By the time the digital Ptarmigan appears on your screen, you will have traced the modern spirit of Kobe.
飲食店
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.
