[Saga Prefecture] Saga Saiko Festival introduces the 10th anniversary program “Blooming Art”! Saga Castle Honmaru Square is transformed into a gigantic art space where 8,000 flowers bloom and create musical sounds.
Saga Prefecture Press Release: October 8, 2025 Saga Saikou Festival introduces 10th anniversary program “Blooming Art”! Saga Castle Honmaru Square will be transformed into a gigantic art space where 8,000 flowers will bloom and play music. The Saga Saiko Festival, taking place on Saturday, October 18th and Sunday, October 19th, will feature a plethora of highlights, including a 15-meter-long art installation and interactive art combining flowers and music. Saga Prefecture will hold a special 10th anniversary event, “Blooming Art,” at Saga Castle Honmaru Square during the “Saga Saikou Festival Vol. 10,” to be held on Saturday, October 18th and Sunday, October 19th, 2025.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/18574/451/18574-451-9b628e124218f0040e2218a42c199276-2048×1152.jpg
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/18574/451/18574-451-d0925f86c92f6a5335dd6cfe46d444c2-1920×1080.png This stunning artwork by flower artist Hikaru Matsumoto resembles a gigantic 15-meter table made with approximately 8,000 fresh flowers and uprooted tea trees. The artworks can be used not only for viewing but also as tables. (Reference) Mr. Hikaru Matsumoto Previous table works
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/18574/451/18574-451-7d945cd9f7b70f8242f6e45f9b0f79c1-2194×2925.jpg [Table Story] Supporting the table, covered in gorgeous flowers, are uprooted tea trees that were destined for disposal. It is said that a single tea tree can produce delicious tea for about 40 years, after which it is uprooted and a new seedling is planted. This table is a sustainable creation made from recycled tea plants and the branches and leaves that were pruned during the growing process. By learning about the background of tea production, we hope that people will rediscover the value of tea in their daily lives and enrich the time they spend brewing and drinking tea. Artist Profile: Hikaru Matsumoto
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/18574/451/18574-451-275f75fe922388d594a553a765fd32e2-1500×1000.jpg Flower artist / Born in Kashima City, Saga Prefecture. Owner of Dream Lifter. A certified first-class flower decorator, he is active both in and outside the prefecture, creating floral art centered on fresh flowers, event decorations, store displays, and workshops. He has collaborated with companies such as Uniqlo, department stores, and Arita ware, and his diverse activities have attracted attention. He will hold his first solo exhibition in 2023. Drawing on his experience working at a garden center, his ever-changing works, incorporating not only cut flowers but also vegetation, are both delicate and bold. Comments We will be creating a special flower table made from a 15-meter-long tea tree in the Honmaru Square of Saga Castle. We will breathe new life into the uprooted tea trees and combine them with flowers to create a unique space. In the open space of Honmaru Square, you can not only “drink” tea, but also “see,” “feel,” and “taste” it – a new way to enjoy tea through a regenerative perspective and gastronomy. Come sit at this special table, chat with friends and family, and share the joy of Saga at its finest! We hope that your time spent in Honmaru Square will create a new “Saga” within you. Highlight 2.: Singing flowers -Listening to Flowers-
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/18574/451/18574-451-9b9d6c197ce7b02dcec690c6828d1fff-3840×2160.jpg Hikaru Matsumoto and the creative lab anno lab have collaborated. Utilizing “Biotron,” a technology tool that converts the electrical potential changes of flowers into musical signals, this event offers a new and unique flower viewing experience that combines flowers, music, and light. Artist profile: anno lab
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/18574/451/18574-451-05c6e5be6b198dd659bffaebb3841907-174×116.png A creative lab based in Fukuoka. It brings together creators with backgrounds as academic researchers, animation artists, game developers, advertising agency workers, Fab masters, and video directors to create new experiences filled with a spirit of fun. Starting with intellectual curiosity, including fun and enjoyment, they produce creative works that bring new experiences and value to everyday life. Their ambition is to create the most fun city in the world. Comments I’ve worked with Hikaru Matsumoto several times as a participating artist at the “Hikariboshi” event, held annually at Hizen Yoshida Ware in Ureshino, and have admired his wonderful world of flower art. Through this collaboration, we look forward to bringing flower art to the people of Saga that can be enjoyed not only through appreciation, but also through touch, sight, and sound, and all five senses. Highlight 3: Saga Castle Honmaru Square becomes an art space where you can stay.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/18574/451/18574-451-6a41ef60677f6bf11708f1bdab9c99ac-3840×2160.jpg In addition to the Blooming Table and Singing Flowers, the venue will feature many other flower-related exhibits. The architecture and design studio rarara studio was inspired by the pillars of Saga Castle to design the entire space, which includes numerous bookshelves, books stored within, and comfortable stools. Don’t miss this opportunity to visit Saga Castle Honmaru Square, which has been transformed into an art space. Architectural designer profile: rarara studio
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/18574/451/18574-451-4d1bfbd626a6b5464528ab9da5104b95-3508×2481.png This Tokyo-based architecture and design studio has Italian roots. Led by Italian architect Riccardo Daniele and Japanese designer Kira Ueno, they undertake projects around the world, primarily focusing on buildings and products. For this project, they were responsible for the spatial layout and concept of Saga Castle Honmaru Square, products such as bookshelves and stools, and the structural design of the Blooming table. Comments Japanese architecture has long been based on grids and geometry. The pillar grid has shaped the history of Japanese architecture and continues to influence contemporary architecture globally. Based on a conceptual drawing of the Saga Castle ruins, this project took on the challenge of expanding and revitalizing Saga Castle through this grid. The 10×10 meter grid system provides an immersive experience, and the pillars house books, symbols of knowledge and a testament to Saga’s ancient power. Within this new urban space, visitors will experience Saga Castle from a new perspective, culminating in the flower table, the climax of the landscape. Measuring 15 meters in length, the table follows the shape of the castle walls, forming a portal connecting the past and present. We hope that those attending the Saga Saiko Festival will be able to experience the splendor of this historic splendor. Blooming Art Event Overview Date and Time Sat, October 18th, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM 10/19 (Sun) 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Location Saga Saiko Festival Venue_Saga Castle Honmaru Square Participation fee Free Concurrent event: Chaya JIRO the BAR in Blooming Art Highlight 4. Ureshino’s popular bar, “Chaya JIRO the BAR,” is coming to Saga Castle Honmaru Square.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/18574/451/18574-451-a1c6448694525876dcad21102d282c61-3900×2605.jpg Enjoy tea from Chaya JIRO the BAR, a popular bar in Ureshino, while admiring the approximately 8,000 flowers in full bloom at the Blooming Table and uprooted tea trees. The Blooming Table was created by Hikaru Matsumoto. The tea trees that form the base of the table are usually uprooted and discarded for replanting. As you gaze upon the veins and moss of the tea trees, which have completed their service of approximately 40 years, you can experience the history and enjoy a delicious cup of tea. “Chaya JIRO the BAR” Menu (Planned) Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/18574/451/18574-451-5677990d365370353828910558935ca3-940×788.png 1. Small tea ceremony at Blooming Table @ ¥5,000 (tax included) (limited quantity, pre-order) (Includes two teas and small sweets) 2. Takeout sales @ 500 yen (tax included) Application
form Artist Profile: Jiro Matsuda
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/18574/451/18574-451-e380c0f0126ce874f412839bcc157a82-940×788.png After experiencing many different types of tea in various places, he decided that rather than simply running a tea cafe, he wanted people to drink the tea he produced himself. He began studying agriculture, starting with soil preparation, and after five years of training, opened the tea farm “Chaya Jiro” in October 2020. Chaya JIRO the BAR was opened with the goal of increasing the number of “professionally brewed tea shops,” still rare in Japan. Comments Flowers and tea have nourished people’s hearts and added elegance since ancient times. Why not enjoy a fragrant cup of tea on a table surrounded by blooming flowers? Takeaway tea will also be available for you to enjoy in the park on the day. Chaya JIRO the BAR in Blooming Art Event Details Date and Time 10/18 (Sat) – 10/19 (Sun) Location Inside the Saga Saikou Festival Venue Inside the Saga Saikou Festival Venue_Saga Castle Honmaru Square Participation Fee Small tea ceremony at Blooming Table @ ¥5,000 (tax included) (planned) Saga Saiko Festival What is it? Saga Saikou Festival is an art festival where you can experience the “best” with all five senses, featuring workshops and music stages by a variety of artists from all over the country, as well as people with ties to Saga, and an area where you can enjoy Saga’s gourmet food. Since its launch in 2016, we have brought many smiles and touching moments to the festival, and with your support, we have reached our 10th anniversary. This year marks a turning point, and we will bring you an even more evolved Saga Saikou Festival. Come and enjoy the “saikou” of Saga! Event date October 18, 2020 (Saturday) 10:00-20:3 0 October 19th (Sunday) 10:00-18:00 Venue In front of Saga Prefectural Museum and Art Museum (1-15-23 Saga Castle) Official website https://sagasaiko-art.com/fes/
