PARADISE AIR

Host organization
PAIR
Address
Hamatomo Bld.15-4, Honcho, Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, 271-0091 JAPAN
Website
http://paradiseair.info/

Overview
AIR Program information

Objective	Situated along the old Mito Road, Matsudo thrived during the Edo Period (1603–1868) as one of the route’s “post towns”– stop-off points punctuating major roads – where travelers would stay on their journey between Edo (present-day Tokyo) and Mito. Countless travelers came and went past where Matsudo station stands today, including artists – poets, painters, calligraphers and the like – who would sometimes leave pieces of their own art as payment for lodging. Some of these works can still be found today, preserved in local residents’ homes. In the spirit of this Matsudo tradition, PARADISE AIR operates under the concept of “One Stay, One Art,” and is accumulating its own history as a cultural and artistic transit point where visitors, both from Japan and overseas, can stop off along their artistic journeys. Our goal is to update and add new layers to Matsudo’s culture by letting our artists stretch their wings across the whole city, working in concert with the local residents.
Organization activities	PARADISE AIR is an artist-in-residence program located in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, conveniently close to yet comfortably removed from the bustle of central Tokyo. At present, our activities revolve around three programs: the SHORTSTAY Program, open not just to artists but to curators and researchers too; the LONGSTAY Program, which hosts artists chosen from among applicants for three months, offering all-round support that covers travel, accommodation, language, and of course artistic production; and finally the LEARN Program, which connects artists with the city, encouraging different kinds of learning and interaction.
Founded in	2013
Background	The program is held on the vacant floors of a former hotel, a setting afforded to us by the Rakuen pachinko parlor (a pinball-gambling establishment) that occupies the bottom floors of this building owned by Hamatomo Corporation. We launched the program in 2013, naming ourselves PARADISE AIR after this “Rakuen” – “paradise” in English – combined with “AIR,” the acronym for “artist-in-residence.”
Location / Environment	With a population of approximately 480,000, the city of Matsudo is situated in the northwestern region of Chiba Prefecture. The Mito Kaido highway, JR Joubansen line, and Edo River all run vertically through city center. Matsudo, positioned between Tokyo and Mito, has flourished as an inn town along the Mito Kaido since the Edo period. Matsudo now serves as a midpoint between downtown Tokyo and Narita International Airport, and as a result has grown from a rest stop between Tokyo and Mito into a city connecting Tokyo to the rest of the world. Thus, PARADISE AIR serves as a point of transit for traveling artists from all around the world in order to foster a new artistic crossroads for the benefit all those who pass through Matsudo.
Notes	Organized by PAIR Subsidized by Matsudo City, Agency for Cultural Affairs Special Supported by Hamatomo Co., Ltd. Supported by Chiba Prefectural Museum of Art, Matsudo Community Planning Council, Matsudo City Tourist Association, Omusubi Estate, Approved by Association for Corporate Support of the Arts, Japan This project received funding from Matsudo City and from the Government of Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs, as part of its Fiscal 2018 “Project to Create Plat-form for Creation and Utilization of Culture and the Arts.” This project has been approved by the Association for Corporate Support of the Arts. As of January 2020
Contact	PARADISE AIR Hamatomo Bldg. 15-4, Honcho, Matsudo, Chiba, 271-0091 Japan E-mail：touch(at)paradiseair.info Facebook�https://www.facebook.com/paradiseair.info Twitter�https://twitter.com/paradise__air Instagram�https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/p_air/

Facility information

Studio informationAvailable

Available to use residence rooms for creation

AccommodationsAvailable

3 Private rooms (40㎡)
+ Shared lounge, kitchen, washing machine and dryer

Presentation spaceAvailable

Adaptable to artists’ plan

Location

The residency is 2 minutes walk from the west exit of Matsudo Station (JR Joban Line / Shin-Keisei Line).

From Narita airport:
Narita Airport Station→[Keisei Sky Liner]→Nippori Station→[JR Joban Line]→Matsudo Station
By this route, it takes about 1.5 hours to get to Matsudo.

From Haneda airport:
Airport Limousine Bus Stop (HND International Terminal No.6)→[Keikyu Bus]→Matsudo Railway Station
By this route, it takes about 1 hour to get to Matsudo.