I visited Iiyama in February two years ago and the desire to return and stay longer has not dimmed. In Iiyama, I found a rural yet connected town that offers many traditional Japanese experiences - farm to table Japanese mountain cuisine, crafts such as Japanese rice paper-making with a modern twist, a temple to temple walk - or snowshoe -  through the forest that calms the mind, a completely unexpected and totally enchanting artisan doll gallery and a marvellous ski day with

Born in 1929 in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Yayoi Kusama is one of the most distinctive and influential artists of the modern era, known worldwide for her immersive infinity rooms, obsessive polka dots, and glowing pumpkin sculptures. Her work transforms deeply personal psychological experiences into a universal visual language, making her art both intimate and monumental. Kusama grew up surrounded by Nagano's mountains and open landscapes that later echoed in her fascinati